PALMYRA – The nearly completed Wal-Mart Supercenter on Route 2 in Palmyra will hold its grand opening celebration next week, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 10.

Store manager Steve Putnam said customers are eager for the 160,000-square-foot addition to open, providing the area with a new grocery outlet that will carry 30,000 items.

Last weekend the new addition was blocked off by a half-wall that customers continuously peered over, checking out the new shelving, refrigerated cases and produce section. “They are very anxious,” said Putnam.

The expansion doubled the size of the store and increased the number of employees from 200 to 400. The construction and renovation began last year and part of the project included a $200,000 water main upgrade from the Newport Water District, paid for by Wal-Mart.

In addition to general merchandise, Supercenters feature bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, and fresh produce. The Palmyra Supercenter will also incorporate several specialty shops, including a vision center, Radio Grill restaurant, a portrait studio and one-hour photo center, and a hair salon.

The Palmyra Supercenter is the third to open this year in Maine – in June, Supercenters opened in Mexico and Biddeford – bringing the number of Supercenters in the state to five.

There was no local objection to the store expansion, which is on the edge of Newport’s Triangle, a busy commercial area at the crossroads of Interstate 95, and Routes 2, 11, 7 and 100.

Store representatives said the expansion at Palmyra follows a national trend of one-stop shopping. Of 180 new Supercenters under construction across the country, 110 are expansions similar to the one in Palmyra.

Wrenn Associates of Naples was the contractor on the project, a $7 million addition and renovation.

Although Putnam admits it was sometimes an adventure for both the consumers and his employees, the store stayed open through the entire construction phase.

“The store was open for business from start to finish,” said company president Sy Wrenn, “so it was important to do the work in a number of phases to ensure the safety of both customers and employees.” The project included additions to both the front and loading dock areas of the building.

“We also dealt with ongoing store deliveries, parking issues and storage of construction materials during a typical Maine winter,” he said. “We were pleased to learn that sales actually increased throughout the construction.”