With Gorham Connector proposal shelved, transportation officials look at other options
Courtesy / Maine Turnpike Authority
Traffic backs up on State Route 22, known as County Road, near Saco Street in Scarborough.
The Maine Department of Transportation is launching a new study of commuter traffic congestion west of Portland.
The controversial Gorham Connector put forth in early 2024, has been shelved for now, after having met with vocal opposition from both property owners in the path of the proposed roadway and from the town of Scarborough, through which the longest section of the road was to have run.
According to a joint statement from the Maine Transportation Authority and the MDOT, there’s been extensive feedback from the public and civic leaders calling for “a broader, more holistic, and multimodal approach to addressing the region’s mobility challenges.”
Traffic issues in this region have been studied for close to two decades. Requests for a solution from town leaders in Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook, resulted in the Gorham Connector proposal.
That called for a four-lane, 4.5-mile toll road linking the Gorham bypass off state Route 114 to the turnpike at Exit 45, in South Portland near the Maine Mall. The connector would have impacted a wide swath of land in Scarborough, including the historic Smiling Hill Farm.
Traffic studies have found that an estimated 140,000 commuters come into Portland from western suburbs. About 16,000 of those primarily use state routes 22, 25, 112 and 114, and backups on those roads during peak drive times are consistently problematic.
Now the MDOT and the MTA feel it’s time for another study which would explore solutions that take into account not just traffic, but also affordable housing, workforce development, sustainability, and additional transit options.
“In the last two decades, many things have changed in the area between Portland and Gorham, but mobility and congestion issues remain,” said MDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note. “Undertaking a regional, holistic, and modally balanced planning effort best fits into Maine DOT’s mission. We look forward to working with our partners to analyze these challenges and identify solutions that will improve more than just our transportation system.”
Maine DOT Deputy Commissioner Dale Doughty told Mainebiz in an email that the process is still in the early stages. “In the upcoming weeks and months, we will be reaching out to stakeholders and groups with interests in business, housing, workforce, land use, environment, transportation and others.
“We will be talking with them about contemporary, regional issues and how mobility plays a role. We will map out short and long-term effective public information and public input strategies,” Doughty added.
“We will have more specifics about our plan as we work through these conversations. Our hope is to complete this study in 18 to 22 months.”
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