SOMERSET COUNTY — Somerset County commissioners have requested $365,000 in federal funding for a northbound, left-turn lane into the Old Canada Road interpretive center and scenic byway on U.S. Route 201 in Solon.

The idea behind the request is to have safe entrance to 130 acres of publicly owned recreational and education land, with a spectacular view of the western mountains. The directors of the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway urge funding for the project as a safety measure.

“The site is fast becoming a destination for residents of and travelers to the Upper Kennebec Valley region of Maine,” wrote Robert Haynes, coordinator of the scenic byway committee, in his funding request.

Route 201 is a major route between Quebec and Maine. Because the byway is on a hill, it creates a traffic hazard. A motorist headed north has to stop and wait for the two lanes of southbound traffic to clear before being able to turn. The project would create a designated turn lane so through-traffic can move along the right lane of the roadway.

The Maine Department of Transportation is ready to move ahead with construction once the funding is in hand.