A Maine Turnpike spur to South Gorham is still years away, but Turnpike Authority Executive Director Peter Mills says he will ask his board Thursday to approve possible purchases of land for it."Where we are reasonably certain of knowing where such a highway would likely go, then, in fairness to those property owners, we want to reach out to them and make sure they know that we're a willing purchaser," Mills says.
An exact route hasn't been mapped out yet, Mills says, but would likely begin in the vicinity of Turnpike Exit 45 in South Portland and run westward for about five miles before ending at Route 114 in South Gorham.
Mills says any actual construction is years away. He says the authority's major project for the next couple of years will be widening the turnpike through South Portland and Portland. Work on that is expected to begin next spring.