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Poll results

The Maine Turnpike Authority has unveiled a long-awaited plan for linking the highway to the town of Gorham, potentially whisking many commuters and other drivers away from over-used local streets and back roads.

The byways are routinely backed up with traffic. And the problem has gotten worse as suburban communities west of Portland have grown in population and attracted new businesses.

The Gorham Connector, as the proposed turnpike spur is called, would run almost 5 miles between Exit 45 in South Portland and a junction with the Gorham Bypass in Gorham. Both municipalities, as well as Scarborough and Westbrook, have long advocated for the connector.

But some residents and others object to the course the highway may take — especially a stretch that would run through a centuries-old family farm, Smiling Hill, in Westbrook.

The project's impact is more than local, however, with possible implications for all of southern Maine and even for the relationship between Mainers and the Turnpike Authority.

More information about the Gorham Connector can be found here.

Do you support the proposed Gorham Connector, as it's currently planned, linking the town with the Maine Turnpike?
Yes (27%, 283 VOTES)
No (70%, 742 VOTES)
Unsure (4%, 42 VOTES)
Poll Description

The Maine Turnpike Authority has unveiled a long-awaited plan for linking the highway to the town of Gorham, potentially whisking many commuters and other drivers away from over-used local streets and back roads.

The byways are routinely backed up with traffic. And the problem has gotten worse as suburban communities west of Portland have grown in population and attracted new businesses.

The Gorham Connector, as the proposed turnpike spur is called, would run almost 5 miles between Exit 45 in South Portland and a junction with the Gorham Bypass in Gorham. Both municipalities, as well as Scarborough and Westbrook, have long advocated for the connector.

But some residents and others object to the course the highway may take — especially a stretch that would run through a centuries-old family farm, Smiling Hill, in Westbrook.

The project's impact is more than local, however, with possible implications for all of southern Maine and even for the relationship between Mainers and the Turnpike Authority.

More information about the Gorham Connector can be found here.

  • 1067 Votes
  • 6 Comments
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6 Comments

  • Ed Hodgdon
    April 1, 2024

    Looking at maps from the meetings that MTA has hosted, most of the land appears to be fallow, though some is in an area that is hayed throughout the year. If the portion of the land that the MTA is looking to acquire will do as much damage to Smiling Hill Farm's business model as they claim it will, they might need to look at their business model.