New Sabattus exit to open within weeks

SABATTUS – The opening of Exit 84 on the Maine Turnpike is just weeks away, promising an easier commute for Sabattus-area residents who work in Portland or Augusta.

The $7.8 million interchange on Route 9, about one mile south of Route 126, is set to open no later than Nov. 12.

“We’re confident that it will be done on time, perhaps even a little early,” said Dan Paradee, spokesman for the Maine Turnpike Authority. “There’s still a lot to do, but it’s moving along well.”

The new turnpike entry ramp will be a huge convenience for some people in Sabattus and surrounding towns, said Rudy Gayton, who began lobbying for the project 20 years ago.

Gayton, who is chairman of the Sabattus Board of Selectmen, said commuters to Portland or Augusta might be able to shave 10 or 15 minutes from their travel time.

While Sabattus caps new construction by limiting building permits to 35 per year, the new exit could promote growth in such towns as Lisbon, Wales and Greene.

Paradee noted that convenience was the primary motivation for building a Sabattus interchange.

By contrast, high traffic volumes led to the construction of the last two exits, at Portland Jetport and Rand Road in Westbrook.

Safety was also a factor in the Sabattus decision, he said, since there is no exit along the 22-mile stretch of turnpike between Lewiston and Gardiner.

Construction on the exit began in July 2002. The project was complicated by the need for permitting and remediation of a wetland, Maxwell Brook.

Road workers are now paving the exit ramps and still must install guardrails, striping and new lighting. New route signs are already up, although covered in tarps.

“We’ve been getting a lot of calls from people wondering when it’ll open,” Paradee said. “We know they have been waiting a long time.”