AUGUSTA – Traffic counts on the Maine Turnpike are close to setting records, according to state officials, who said Thursday all indicators are pointing toward a prosperous 2001 tourist season.

The Maine Turnpike Authority reported that July was the second busiest month in the agency’s history, with 179,084 trips per day – second only to August 2000’s all-time record of 181,400 trips.

By comparison, last July’s daily trips reached 174,149.

Those 179,084 trips equate to 5.7 million travelers in July, according to Dan Paradee, an authority spokesman.

“It appears that we might surpass the August record,” said Paradee, emphasizing that the agency’s figures have yet to be audited. “The weather has been significantly better this year, I think. People continue to drive and want to take their vacations in Maine.”

Another striking observation gleaned from the MTA statistics indicates that during July more travelers were using the turnpike to travel north.

The authority’s Portland exits reflected a combined 1.6 percent decline in the past year. By contrast, traffic at the New Gloucester toll barrier increased by 17 percent and by 29 percent at the West Gardiner tollgate.

Meanwhile, preliminary MTA statistics indicate that about 185,000 vehicles per day have used the turnpike so far this month. That’s up 3.5 percent over July and 2.2 percent greater than August of last year.

Even with the traffic slowdowns in the MTA’s three-lane widening project from Portland south, the cars continue to roll in at rates exceeding last year’s Portland statistics by 1,000 cars a day.

Gov. Angus S. King said Thursday it’s too soon to be able to assess the summer tourist season, but he added that anecdotal information and preliminary statistics were extremely encouraging.

“Everything is up,” he said. “And last year was a huge year for Maine. It also appears that people are staying on the turnpike to go deeper into Maine than in past years. That’s consistent with what I’ve heard about the interior parts of the state – and Greenville in particular – having a better tourist season than in years past.

“Frankly, I’m surprised, since it shows that even with the talk of a downturn in Maine’s economy, we may still be pulling ahead.”