PORTLAND – Maine Medical Center on Wednesday briefed the news media on a new helipad and a connector to the emergency room as the state’s biggest hospital prepares for the arrival of LifeFlight helicopters later this year.

The steel superstructure for the helipad went up a week ago and the hospital expects to be landing patients by the end of the year, said spokesman Wayne Clark.

The helipad ensures faster access to Maine Medical Center, which operates the state’s only Level 1 trauma center, hospital officials said.

“Along with the other critical components of the state’s emergency medical and trauma systems, these investments ensure that Maine citizens and visitors have access to a full range of trauma services, whenever and wherever they are needed,” said Vincent Conti, president and CEO of Maine Medical Center.

LifeFlight helicopters have served emergency rooms at Lewiston’s Central Maine Medical Center and Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center since 1998.

Up to this point, LifeFlight helicopters bringing patients to the Maine Medical Center had to land at the local airport and transfer patients to an ambulance.