ME: MDOT to review alternatives to Gorham Connector

Maine transportation officials have agreed to take a fresh look at traffic congestion west of Portland and consider solutions other than the controversial Gorham Connector proposal.

The Maine Turnpike Authority has asked the Maine Department of Transportation to lead a two-year study that will include reviewing how the pandemic changed some of the underlying reasons for the 5-mile, four-lane toll highway extension, the authority announced Thursday.

The decision follows a year of community conflict over the connector proposal and growing negative feedback "from the public and civic leaders who have called for a broader, more holistic and multimodal approach to addressing the region's mobility challenges," the authority said in a statement.

"There have been some questions raised about a prospective new road connection to Gorham and how it fits into the larger Southern Maine transportation system, including transit and trails," said MTA Board Chairman Michael Cianchette. "Good questions deserve answers, so the Turnpike has asked MDOT to take the lead and use their expertise to examine it holistically."

Cianchette said the MDOT will "step in and we will stand by to help however we are able."

Some opponents say it's the closest the authority has come to canceling the $331 million connector project that would be paved from South Portland through Scarborough, Westbrook and Gorham.

"It feels like we won," said Myles Smith, a leader of Mainers for Smarter Transportation, a group that is fighting the connector. "We're happy to see MDOT is taking over. We need to be thinking as a region and as a state about bringing jobs and businesses closer to where people live so they don't have to drive everywhere."

Despite Thursday's announcement, Smith said he and others are pushing ahead with legislative proposals that would reorganize the MTA to be part of the MDOT and repeal the bill that called for building the Gorham Connector.

Smith and other opponents say the connector is an outdated and oversized solution to commuter traffic congestion that occurs at limited times in certain areas. They say it would be better addressed with smaller, less expensive improvements to existing roads, such as roundabouts and bike lanes, and improved public transportation.

Gary Dube, a Gorham resident who supports the connector project, said he's also glad the MDOT has taken the lead — especially if it helps to build a better case for a turnpike extension he said would serve thousands of motorists throughout Greater Portland.

"I'd encourage the review if it means the project moves forward," Dube said. "The congestion goes well beyond Route 114 and Route 22, and the benefits of the connector would be regional."

Reconsidering studies and stakeholders

In its review, MDOT will revisit past mobility studies — including recent efforts involving the connector — and update them to reflect current commuting patterns, community growth trends and land use developments.

"The agency will actively engage stakeholders, including those impacted by regional congestion as well as those affected by diverted traffic on local roads," the MTA's statement said. The planning process will emphasize transparent communication and meaningful public engagement.

"It's great news," said Arthur Theriault, whose home on Running Hill Road in Scarborough is one of 50 properties that would be impacted by the connector. "It seemed like the MTA was focused on that one option to the exclusion of others. It's promising that they're stepping back and MDOT will be reevaluating all the options."

Some connector opponents don't see much promise in the MDOT's involvement because the head of the agency, Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note, is an ex-officio member of the MTA's board of directors. He's also an engineer and attorney who previously worked at the authority on the connector project.

"It does not give us a lot of comfort at the moment," said Warren Knight of Smiling Hill Farm, a historic 500-acre property that also would be impacted by the connector.

"I believe ( Van Note) is too invested in seeing the connector built," Knight said. He added that while the MDOT may be more transparent in its practices than the MTA, he believes an outside firm would conduct a more objective review of traffic congestion west of Portland and its potential solutions.

In the MTA's statement, Van Note acknowledged that many things have changed in Portland's suburbs in the last 20 years, but he said mobility and congestion issues remain.

"Undertaking a regional, holistic and modally balanced planning effort best fits into MDOT's mission," he said. "We look forward to working with our partners to analyze these challenges and identify solutions that will improve more than just our transportation system."

Modern Transportation Needs

The MDOT will establish stakeholder groups to focus on key issues such as active transportation, housing, land use and mass transit, and it will assess the benefits and limitations of modifying existing transportation infrastructure, the MTA's statement said.

Based on the MDOT assessment, "if needed and requested by MDOT, MTA would evaluate any proposed new road options to determine their financial viability," the statement said.

The MDOT "will continue to work closely with municipalities, regional planning organizations, transit agencies, active transportation advocates and MTA, to develop a comprehensive and effective solution," the statement said.

The study will be completed in 2026.

Multiple requests for congestion mitigation initiated by Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook produced exhaustive studies and legislative actions in an effort to alleviate the traffic conditions, the statement said.

Building off previous actions, the Legislature directed MTA in 2017 to review conditions west of Portland and, if warranted, permit and construct a solution, the statement said.

Since that time, concerns related to commuting conditions post-pandemic, effects of climate change, a housing crisis and Maine's workforce shortage have evolved.

"Each of these factors affect and may strengthen the need for an innovative transportation solution for the region," the statement said.

"Both MTA and MDOT recognize that congestion west of Portland extends beyond a single corridor and has far-reaching implications for Maine's transportation network," the statement said. "MDOT has committed to exploring innovative solutions that not only improve mobility but also support affordable housing, workforce development, sustainability and efficient transit options."

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