You Can’t Get There from Here: Eastern Trail connection between South Portland, Scarborough remains elusive, expensive

SCARBOROUGH — If the “Bridge Out” sign is not enough, the drop down to the Nonesuch River from where a bridge used to cross the river is a vivid reminder of the obstacles blocking the off-road linkage of the Eastern Trail to South Portland.

But as a $150,000 study funded by the Maine Department of Transportation progresses, Town Planner Dan Bacon and Eastern Trail Alliance President Bob Hamblen are aware the water crossing may be the easiest part of constructing a 1.5-mile trail section to the Wainwright Field Athletic Complex in South Portland.

“There’s a reason this segment is not built,” Bacon said. “At least in Scarborough, it is the most complex section to create a trail.”

From Route 35 in Kennebunk to Bug Light Park in South Portland, for about 21 miles, the trail is largely off road, with the section between Thornton Academy in Saco and the eastern end of Scarborough Marsh primarily following the railbed of the defunct Eastern Railroad. It crosses the Saco River on Main Street in Saco, but there are pedestrian bridges spanning the Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk and U.S. Route 1 in Saco.

But getting to South Portland from Scarborough requires going south on Black Point Road, and east on Highland Avenue to Gary Maietta Parkway. There the trail becomes part of the South Portland Greenbelt Walkway, extending almost seven more miles to the coast.

“Crossing the (Nonesuch) river is comparatively one of the easier things to solve,” Bacon said. “We can drop a bridge into the existing abutments.”

Hamblen, who is also the Saco city planner, agreed.

“We recognize the Scarborough connector as one of the more complicated projects we will have dealt with,” he said.

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Group’s goal is to extend trail south from Kennebunk to Kittery

The Kennebunk Post – By Alex Acquisto,Staff Writer

The Eastern Trail Alliance and Southern Eastern Trail Alliance have begun to set new plans for expanding into motion.

Optimally, the off-road trail will continue from South Portland through Wells, North and South Berwick and Eliot, all the way down to Kittery. The alliance held an informational meeting Tuesday, March 26 in North Berwick to discuss expansion plans and feel out any opposition.

Formally designed in 1998 to follow the abandoned Eastern Railway, the Eastern Trail was constructed for runners, hikers, bikers and other general outdoor enthusiasts.

Nearly every year since the millennium, new paths have been forged between South Portland and Kennebunk.

“There was some reluctance in southern Maine about the trail — there was skepticism whether the trail would ever get built over the Kennebunk turnpike,” said Deborah Erickson Irons, director of Choose to Be Healthy Coalition and Eastern Trail Alliance trustee.

“People wondered, ‘Will we ever get the benefits of the trail down here?’ To the town’s credit, they have been patient and now they see that the trail is ready in Kennebunk. We’re over the hurdle of putting it over the turnpike,” she said.

“We’re seeking funding to extend the offroad trail from where it is in Kennebunk now, farther south,” said Erickson-Irons. “We wanted to start generating interest in the south, so we formed a small committee to focus on North Berwick and South Berwick.”

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

NORTH BERWICK, Maine — An informational presentation, “The Eastern Trail: A Trail and a Vision” will be held at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 26 at the North Berwick Community Center, 264 Lebanon Road in North Berwick. Anyone interested in learning about the Eastern Trail is invited to attend.

Have you driven I-95 through Kennebunk and seen the beautiful span over the highway that is part of the Eastern Trail? The off-road Eastern Trail currently ends at the Kennebunk Elementary school, but the vision of trail enthusiasts in southern Maine is for the off-road trail to continue through Wells, North Berwick, South Berwick, Eliot, and Kittery.

The Eastern Trail Alliance is the focused effort to vision, build, promote and use the trail. The Alliance includes many supporters from throughout southern Maine, hikers, bikers, X-country skiers, birders, and other outdoor enthusiasts dedicated to creating, enjoying and maintaining the Eastern Trail.

Panel presenters on March 26 will share the history of building the off-road Eastern Trail, future plans for the trail, reasons to support the trail, and answer your questions regarding the project. Presenters will include Eastern Trail Management District President and Arundel Town Planner Tad Redway; Eastern Trail Alliance President and Saco City Planner Bob Hamblen; and Choose To Be Healthy Coalition Director Deborah Erickson-Irons. Coffee, juice and small desserts will be served.

— About the Eastern Trail —
The Eastern Trail is a 65 mile section of the East Coast Greenway, a transportation-recreation greenway connecting South Portland to Kittery. The scenic on-road trail mostly follows quiet country roads. Bike riders, walkers, and hikers can enjoy outdoor experiences from South Portland’s Bug Light Park on Casco Bay (near Portland) to Kittery’s Piscataqua River. In addition to the on-road trail, the Eastern Trail has the growing length of off-road sections.

For more information about the trail and about the meeting, please go to www.easterntrail.org, call The Eastern Trail Alliance office at 207-284-9260, or call Deborah Erickson-Irons at 207-351-2659.