In early February, the Maine Turnpike Authority announced a specific route for the planned Gorham Connector highway for the first time. The long-discussed Connector project would involve construction of a five-mile-long limited access four lane highway, linking the Maine Mall area of South Portland to Route 114, south of Gorham Village. It will follow a right of way which the Turnpike Authority is still in the process of acquiring.
The MTA states they have acquired approximately 35% of the acreage that is needed to complete the project. The new roadway will begin near the Exit 45 interchange, across from the Target Plaza. After passing Running Hill Road below grade level, the Connector will go through areas of north Scarborough and southeast Gorham that are lightly developed, staying just west of the Scarborough-Westbrook line and Gorham-Westbrook town lines. The roadway will end at Gorham’s South Street rotary, about two miles south of Gorham Village. So far, the MTA has not announced a construction start date.
The Turnpike Authority has also announced that, in the coming months, they will hold a series of public meetings in each of the affected core communities, which will include Scarborough and Westbrook, in addition to Gorham and South Portland. The first meeting will be in Gorham on Monday, March 25, in the Shaw Gym at the Gorham Municipal Complex.
There will be an open house from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with several presentation tables, so that interested residents can speak one-on-one with members of the turnpike authority staff, engineering consultants, and municipal representatives from the neighboring core communities. Beginning at 6 pm, there will be a formal presentation, followed by public comments and questions.
Photo credit: Turnpike AuthorityMap provided by Turnpike Authority shows proposed route of four lane Gorham Connector
The Gorham Connector project has recently become the subject of a good deal of media coverage, in southern Maine and beyond. Local town administrators and residents have spoken positively about the Connector project, stating that they are happy to see that the road finally seems to be moving toward the construction phase. They cite the 15 to 20 years of lengthy discussions about whether the road is needed, and about what route the road should follow. They describe the frequent traffic backups on Routes 114 and 22, adding that these are continuing to worsen. Some have also commented that they are happy to see that all the Turnpike’s preliminary planning and engineering efforts seem to be accomplishing something.
On the other hand, many environmentalists have continued to criticize the project, stating that it will negatively affect global warming because of encouraging suburban sprawl, leading to forest degradation, and to more auto exhaust emissions as increased numbers of commuters drive more miles to reach homes located farther and farther from where they work or go to college. Other opponents have written that the project is not needed and will be a waste of money.
Opponents have continued to state that the estimated cost of more than $240 million is money that could be better spent on environmentally friendly projects, such as renewable energy production, expanded rail passenger service, and commuter buses. Connector opponents have also expressed concerns about the environmental effects of the road’s construction, including extensive land clearing.
There has also been a good deal of local news coverage regarding the Connector’s potential effects on Smiling Hill Farm, whose well known ice cream counter, sandwich shop, and petting zoo are popular summertime destinations for locals and tourists alike. Smiling Hill straddles the Westbrook-Scarborough line along Route 22 (County Road) east of the spot where the Connector would cross Route 22. The closest portion of the extensive Smiling Hill property to Gorham is about a half mile from the Gorham town line.
Once the Connector’s planned route was announced, members of the Knight family who own Smiling Hill Farm, began speaking out, saying that the construction of the new road would have a very negative effect on their businesses. The Knight family’s opposition appears significant, as the route map indicates that it would be very difficult for the Connector to be built without it crossing some of the Knights’ current land holdings.
Countering this, the Turnpike Authority has sought to downplay the roadway’s possible effect on Smiling Hill’s core businesses. Turnpike officials have pointed out that the Connector’s planned route crosses Route 22 over a quarter mile west of Smiling Hill’s core area, and that most of the land which the Turnpike Authority hopes to buy from the Knights is wooded.
In a recent email, Turnpike Executive Director Peter Mills stated “There is no proposal to go through Smiling Hill Farm. The Knights own a dairy, a restaurant, a cow barn, and a lumber store. They also own many acres of vacant, undeveloped land and woodlots to the west, south and east of where the farm and lumber store are located. We have spoken to them about buying some of the vacant land on the west side behind the lumber store and a portion of a 57 acre woodlot on the south side of County road that they bought only four years ago. There is no reason to go through the farm itself.”
Beginning in late March, the Turnpike Authority’s public informational meetings will be an opportunity for the Gorham Connector’s opponents and proponents to ask questions, seek answers, and make comments.