Portland Press Herald | Posted December 17 | Salomé Cloteaux
The Close the Gap project adds 1.6 miles to the Eastern Trail is ahead of schedule.
The Close the Gap project on the Eastern Trail reached a milestone last week with the installation of a bridge over the Nonesuch River in Scarborough.
The effort will add 1.6 miles to the Eastern Trail, a large step toward having a fully connected 65-mile offroad trail from South Portland to Kittery. When the section is completed, connecting the trail segment off Eastern Road to the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland, there will be a continuous 16-mile trail without on-road gaps linking Bug Light Park with downtown Saco.
Scarborough Town Manager Tom Hall said he expects the project will cost around $7 million by its completion. Most of the funding comes from federal dollars, but it also includes state and local funding, as well as individual and corporate donors.
The Close the Gap project has two phases, both of which are ahead of schedule thanks to the contractor, Shaw Brothers, and the subcontractor, Scott Construction, Hall said.
“They’re certainly going to far exceed the contractual obligation because they have all the way until October 2027 to complete the trail,” Hall said. “I can’t imagine in my wildest dreams that that time frame would be needed.”
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