MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • July 21, 2024
The Maine Turnpike Authority will extend its timeline for public comment and permit applications for the increasingly controversial Gorham Connector project, the agency has announced. The goal is to ensure a thorough review and integration of public feedback and accommodate upcoming leadership turnover at the authority, a spokesperson said. The authority has spent at least $4.5 million acquiring land needed to build the 5-mile, four-lane spur, which is expected to cost well over $200 million to complete. The project faces mounting concern from opponents who believe it will worsen suburban sprawl and the commuter traffic congestion it’s meant to tame, as well as people who want to prevent it from cutting through Smiling Hill Farm.