Peter Mills will step down from his role as executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority when his term is up in September.
Mills, who is 81, has served as executive director for 13 years. He says the Turnpike has required constant rebuilding ever since it was constructed in 1947, and overseeing roughly 340 employees and more than 100 miles of road has been both fun and demanding.
"The decision for me is to whether to sign up for another whole year of doing this work," he says. "And I have to ask myself the question, 'Wouldn't my time be better used helping to find somebody else and train somebody else to take over at this point?' And I think that's the right answer."
Mills says one of his accomplishments was overseeing a recent widening project in Portland that added a third lane and other improvements. Another project that proved more challenging is the proposed Gorham connector, which calls for the construction of a new toll road to alleviate congestion. It has faced opposition from some landowners and others who are concerned about environmental impacts.
After he steps down, Mills says he plans to return to his law practice in Skowhegan.
