A land use and transportation planning project that involved 15 midcoast communities has had its funding withdrawn by the new administration in Augusta, but its work may continue.

Some of its members say the effort has been worthwhile and should look for other sources of funding.

Members of the Gateway 1 Implementation Steering Committee plan to meet at 5 p.m. next Thursday at Rockland City Hall to discuss their options.

Chairman Don White of Camden said there is already talk of finding a way to continue the project without state support.

“There should be a lot of people at the meeting who want to continue the program,” White said.

White said Gateway 1 was established by the Maine Department of Transportation after a road widening project on Route 1 in Warren turned confrontational.

In June 2002, state road crews encountered protests and even people chaining themselves to trees along the road.

Twelve protestors, who opposed the removal of stately trees, were arrested on charges ranging from assault and disorderly conduct to criminal trespass.

After the confrontation, state officials realized there had to be a more effective way to address the public’s transportation needs and balance them with communities’ values. It opted to bring cities and towns along Route 1 into the dialogue, forming the Gateway 1 project in 2005.

The project was aimed at developing a long-term strategic land use and transportation plan for the 110 miles of Route 1 from Brunswick to Prospect.

On Tuesday, the communities were informed by David Bernhardt, Maine’s new transportation commissioner, that all work on Gateway 1 had been suspended.

In a letter, Bernhardt told the steering committee that while the project has been a “worthy effort,” future funding would be better spent on fixing state roads and bridges.

According to the Department of Transportation, about $2.4 million in federal and state money has been invested in Gateway 1 studies and improvements. Some of the grant money is still being spent by the communities.

“Given the significant and growing fiscal constraints under which we are operating, our top priority must be to focus our time and scarce resources on existing short term critical infrastructure needs, roads and bridges primarily, to the greatest extent possible,” Bernhardt wrote.

The stop order came at Gov. Paul LePage’s request because he doesn’t support spending state money on the project. The governor believes that money should go toward fixing potholes and making sure bridges are sound, LePage’s staff told The Lincoln County News.

White said the Gateway 1 committee was on the verge of forming a coalition that would have started receiving state and federal money in 2014 to address communities’ transportation needs.

“Unfortunately, the new administration is looking to do more paving than planning,” White said. “We’re disappointed the money has been pulled and the program suspended, but we are prepared to march on and to look for other sources of funding.”

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com