Dear Friend of the Eastern Trail,

We are thrilled to share a major milestone with you: construction is officially underway on the long-anticipated Close the Gap project in Scarborough, Maine!

In partnership with the Town of Scarborough and MaineDOT, this project will add 1.6 miles of off-road trail to the Eastern Trail, connecting the trail segment off Eastern Road to the northern trail segment near the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland. This new segment will eliminate a key on-road gap and bring us one step closer to a fully connected Eastern Trail.

This progress is the result of years of hard work: raising funds, aligning partners, finalizing trail design, and securing the necessary permits and land rights. The project went out to bid this spring, and construction is underway!

This moment also honors the vision of Eastern Trail founder John Andrews, whose tireless efforts and advocacy laid the groundwork for a long-distance trail through southern Maine. Though John is no longer with us, his legacy continues in every mile we build.

Construction will be completed in phases, and we hope the entire segment will be completed by the end of 2027. For ongoing project updates, please go here.

We are beyond excited to see this vision become reality. We are deeply grateful to the many funders and partners who helped bring this project to life—including the Town of Scarborough, MaineDOT, and generous lead donors like Town & Country Federal Credit Union, Caiazzo Family, Thompson Family, Quimby Family Foundation, Avangrid Foundation, IDEXX Laboratories, WEX, and many more!

Thank you for believing in the power of the Eastern Trail. Let’s keep strengthening and building the Eastern Trail—together!

With Gratitude,

Chelsey Berlin

Executive Director

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