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Broad public opposition and agency split presented as committee hears bill to repeal Gorham Connector authorization
Summary
LD 1020 would repeal the Maine Turnpike Authority’s authorization to build a Gorham connector and require resale of land; proponents cited environmental harm, farmland loss and induced demand, while MDOT and MTA opposed repeal as premature pending a multiyear study and warned of legal and fiscal consequences.
Senator Stacy Brenner and a coalition of local residents and organizations urged the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation on April 3 to repeal state statutes that authorize construction of the proposed Gorham Connector and to return acquired land to prior owners (LD 1020). Brenner and dozens of public commenters argued the five‑mile, limited‑access connector would cut through wetlands and prime farmland, increase greenhouse gas emissions and induce sprawl rather than solve congestion.
"The proposed Gorham connector is a costly and outdated solution to our region's transportation challenges," said Senator Stacy Brenner, who cited the Maine Climate Council’s findings that transportation is the state's largest emissions source. Testimony submitted to the committee described potential permanent impacts to…
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