Dormant, but Not Quite Dead.
The Maine Turnpike Authority has said it is not moving forward with the wasteful and destructive turnpike expansion west of Portland.
We won, for now.
But, the inertia of long-held misbeliefs, budget autonomy, bloated bureaucracy, and the road-building lobby are strong. The Gorham “Connector” is now a Zombie Project – not enough support to go forward, but with enough institutional support, egos, and money backing them that it won’t quite die.
Maine can do better.
Maine is still considering spending $331,000,000+
to expand the Maine Turnpike…
for 5 miles.
The project would destroy local ecosystems, create sprawl and pollution, and devastate the beloved Smiling Hill Farm, which has been a feature of the community since 1720.
Mainers for Smarter Transportation is a group of individuals and organizations working to protect the character of our communities and develop smart alternatives to address traffic in greater Portland.
We can do better than this.
Supporting Organizations
The Maine Turnpike Authority’s own report says its
Gorham “Connector” proposal won’t solve the problem
Expanding the highway at the expense of our communities and special places like Smiling Hill Farm is government on auto-pilot. The relief will be temporary but the damage will be permanent. It undermines Maine’s Climate Action Plan at a time when we need to aggressively reduce emissions. It will bring Maine Mall sprawl to rural Gorham, Scarborough, and Westbrook. And it won’t solve the problem.