The Maine Department of Transportation has earned regional honors from the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials for the Acadia Gateway Center, which opened in the Hancock County town of Trenton last fall.
The award for “Best Use of Technology and Innovation” recognizes the project’s innovative design and delivery, highlighting how the center improves access to Acadia National Park, while also reducing traffic congestion and supporting long-term environmental sustainability.
The park receives close to four million visitors annually.
Located between Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island, at 42 Gateway Center Drive in Trenton, the $27.7 million center serves as a transportation hub for the region.
It incorporates sustainable features like rooftop solar panels, a geothermal heating and cooling system and advanced energy management technology designed to improve efficiency and reduce long-term operating costs.
Brewer-based Nickerson & O’Day Inc. was the general contractor. The 11,000-square-foot building was constructed using mass timber by New Energy Works in Farmington, N.Y.
The project was selected from 30 submissions from eight states and the District of Columbia.
The project will now advance to the national competition. Regional winners from across the country will be narrowed to 12 in September before competing for two national honors in the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards.
