By Zack Anchors

Staff Writer

    A new engineering and feasibility report released by
the Eastern Trail Alliance (ETA) last week was a step toward filling in
what ETA officials say is one of the most critical gaps in the
Kittery-to-South Portland trail--a connection between South Portland
and Scarborough. If the connector trail that the report maps out is
built, within a few years it would be possible to bike, walk, ski or
run from Bug Light to Old Orchard Beach on the trail, without using any
temporary on-road links that now make up much of the trail. But for
that to happen, said Eastern Trail Alliance President John Andrews, a
substantial chunk of money must first be raised.

    “The money will be found. But we’re not going to do
this with lighthouse rides,” Andrews said, referring to the groups
annual fundraiser. “We need state, federal or municipal funds--or an
extremely generous donation. I think this is something our
congressional delegation should look at.”

    The report maps out eight potential routes for the
trail that would run between the Nonesuch River in Scarborough and
Wainright Fields in South Portland, each with varying costs. But the
one that was determined to be the most feasible and preferred route was
estimated to cost in the range of $1.2 to $1.4 million.

    The link between South Portland and Scarborough was
one of only two sections of the 55-mile trail that was not included in
a 2001 feasibility study. At the time, finding a feasible route
appeared too complex and there did not seem to be enough suitable land
available. Steve Workman, project manager of the Eastern Trail
Management District, said that the connection would nonetheless be a
crucial element of the Eastern Trail as a whole.

    “This would be a vital link because you have two
such high-density centers that it would connect,” said Workman. “Right
now there is an on-road connection, but this area, in particular is not
a very safe on-road connection.”

    Currently much of the Eastern Trail consists of
roadways that provide links between scattered off-road sections like
the trail that was built across Scarborough Marsh. But the driving
vision of ETA is of a primarily off-road trail that runs from Kittery
to South Portland. The trail would also be a part of the East Coast
Greenway, a primarily off-road trail that would run from Key West,
Florida to Calais, Maine. Right now, in order for trail users to get
from the trail in South Portland to the trail in Scarborough they must
travel on Highland Avenue between Wainright fields and Black Point Road.

    A new section of the trail was recently completed
that extends from the Scarborough section of the trail to a dead end at
the Nonesuch River near the South Portland border. The preferred route
would require building a bridge across the river where that trail ends,
using the abutment of an old granite railroad bridge from the now
defunct Eastern Railroad. The trail would trace the path of the
railroad corridor until it reaches Pleasant Hill Road. The trail would
follow along the north side of the Pleasant Hill Road to Rigby Road.
Between Rigby Road and Wainright fields would be an off-road section
that passes through an area that is part wooded and part industrial.

    The ETA is currently moving ahead with a plan to
build a new section of the trail that connects Pine Point with Old
Orchard Beach. Once that section is completed, only the connector
between Scarborough and South Portland will be needed to provide a
complete trail segment between South Portland and Old Orchard Beach.

    After narrowing the options down to eight potential
trail segments, the ETA report, which was created by the engineering
firm Wilbur Smith Associates, used cost, environmental considerations
and the complexities of potential land use negotiations as primary
factors in identifying a preferred route.

    The study also involved two public meetings with
residents of the area, numerous site visits, and the input of a
steering committee made up of various stakeholders. Workman said that
at the public hearings area residents expressed concerns on a number of
issues, but were generally enthusiastic about the connector. One
underlying issue, said Workman, was a feeling among residents that by
attracting more people to the area, the completed trail would
compromise their safety and cause problems with traffic and littering.

       “What typically happens, though, when
you look at other trail systems around the country, is that crime drops
and littering drops,” said Workman. “People care about the trail and
take on ownership of the trail.”

       Residents of Pond View Road, in
particular, were concerned about the impact of a trail on their
neighborhood, especially if the road became an on-road portion of the
trail, as was considered. Workman said the report incorporated the
residents concerns and chose a preferred route that would minimize
impact on the road.

    Although a preferred route has been pinned down,
Workman said there is still a possibility that another route could be
ultimately chosen. 

    Completion of the Scarborough and South Portland
connector is likely at least a few years away. After finding funding
there will be more public hearings and a final engineering study.
Finally, a bid would be put out for construction of the trail and work
would begin.

    Although most of the trail has been funded with
federal and state dollars, municipalities have also contributed on
certain projects. The 2.4 mile trail that crosses the Scarborough Marsh
was paid for, in part, by the town of Scarborough, as well the new
trail that dead-ends at the Nonesuch River. That segment, known as the
Defosses Trail, also benefited from the generosity of the Defosses
family, whom donated the land it was built on.

    One source of funding for the trail could be through
earmarks in federal transportation funding, which would require efforts
by Maine’s congressional delegation.