NORWAY – Finally, the state highways in western Maine are getting the attention they deserve.

That was the opinion of Oxford County Commissioner Steve Merrill, commenting recently on the latest state highway funding package.

“They’ve finally admitted that Division 7 is in the worst condition in the state,” Merrill said.

Norm Haggan, engineer for Division 7 working out of the Dixfield office, agreed with Merrill’s assessment.

“As far as the arterial system goes, that’s true,” he said.

Division 7 covers Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties, as well as parts of Somerset and Kennebec counties.

The biennial transportation improvement program for 2003-2005 includes $18.3 million in funding for Division 7, which is about 25 percent of the total funding package of $73.3 million, Haggan said.

“We are getting the lion’s share of the money for the divisions,” he said, “and it’s well overdue. We didn’t get the improvements in the past that the other divisions did.”

He said past practice, when doling out state highway funds, has been to concentrate a major chunk of the total on high-profile projects like Route 1 in York. “We’ve been able to get the changes based on need,” Haggan said. “All roads need to be repaired.”

Haggan said that of the 306 miles of arterial highway that are backlogged or needing work, 79 miles are in Division 7. The highways include routes 2, 4, 26, 100, 108, and 121.

A $7 million rebuilding project is dedicated to Route 2 between Bethel and Gilead. Other projects either under way or set for the next year are Route 4 in Farmington, and Route 26 in Woodstock at Merrifield Hill.