Gov. Baldacci says he wants more interaction with Canadian authorities.

QUEBEC (AP) – Maine has long been seen as the last stop along the northeastern corridor, but state officials wonder if taking further advantage of its proximity to Canada could help vitalize northern New England.

An east-west highway through Maine could attract not only more Canadian traffic through the state but also benefit American businesses, Maine Transportation Commissioner David Cole said Friday.

“Rather than being the end of the line in the United States, we’re part of a larger region,” Cole said. “It is very much in our interest to see the world in a broader way.”

Cole was part of a delegation including Gov. John Baldacci that visited Quebec last week. The trip was aimed at promoting government and business contacts between Quebec and Maine.

Baldacci and Quebec Premier Jean Charest met in Quebec City to discuss enabling law enforcement agencies on either side of the border to share more information as well as more consistent intergovernmental contacts.

Baldacci said that though New England governors and premiers of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces meet annually, Maine wants to have more frequent contact with Canadian officials.

“Once a year is not enough,” Baldacci said. “This is an opportunity to further integrate our relationship much closer.”

The idea of integration is welcomed by many in the state’s business community.

Richard Coyle, president of Maine International Trade Center, said if Maine and Quebec officials make contact several times a month, they also could address smaller issues such as exchange programs.

Government officials in Quebec and Maine are interested in improving existing roads between the two countries.

Maine has spent $23.5 million during the past decade to improve the northern section of Route 201 and has plans to build a new bridge between Calais and St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

The state also is considering building a new bridge over the Kennebec River to divert through traffic around Skowhegan, Cole said.

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