PORTLAND – The new third lane of the Maine Turnpike between York and Wells was opened to traffic Wednesday after contractors completed the work nearly $2.3 million under budget.

Turnpike officials ordered the opening of the latest six-mile stretch a day ahead of schedule after an incoming storm prompted the cancellation of a ribbon-cutting ceremony that had been planned for noon Thursday.

“The turnpike-widening project is all about safety,” said spokesman Dan Paradee. “We’re not going to take a safety risk in order to conduct a symbolic ribbon cutting.”

He said a future event would be scheduled to recognize the people who worked on the project that is expected to ease congestion, especially during the peak tourist season.

“When our friends from out of state come back this summer, they’re going to notice a marked improvement,” said Maria Fuentes, executive director of the Maine Better Transportation Association.

The 1.5-mile Scarborough section opened two weeks ago $800,000 under budget. Three bridge projects in Saco are expected to cost $7.3 million instead of $4.8 million because deeper pilings and more extensive drainage than expected were needed.

But even with those higher costs, the Maine Turnpike Authority is $500,000 in the black as it heads into the second year of the five-year widening project.

Turnpike officials expect their good luck will continue as they bid out $31.9 million in contracts.

“We should be in good shape,” said Paul Violette, executive director of the authority. “I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen this fall and there seems to be some moderation in the economy, so I’m expecting an even better [construction] market next year.”

Officials said competitive bidding, good engineering and contractors’ strong daily management skills helped keep costs down. The final cost of the York-Wells project is expected to be $13.3 million, compared with the $15.6 million budgeted in 1998. The first year of the widening project cost $26.9 million instead of $27.4 million, according to Violette.

The authority will begin work on the six-mile Saco section in the spring. That portion of the project calls for filling in a quarter-mile-long dip in the highway. The work is expected to cause backups because traffic will have to be diverted around the site.