On the surface, the construction of just over a mile and a half's worth of trail may not sound like a huge deal for folks living in southern Maine. One could also assume a project of that length would be straightforward.

But nothing about the "Close the Gap" building project on the Eastern Trail can be considered as being straightforward. A venture that conservationists, transportation experts and municipal and state officials all believe will have a profound regional impact has gestated for more than a decade.

The Eastern Trail, part of U.S. Bike Route 1, is a vital multi-use pathway that extends 65 mi. from South Portland to Kittery, and, along the way, travels by scenic woods, tidal marshes and classic Maine villages. Since its Scarborough developments in the early 2000s, the trail has provided millions of people with a recreational and transportation resource that connects them to the state's beautiful landscape.

However, a key piece of trail is missing in Scarborough in the form of a 1.6-mi. "gap" that interrupts off-road travel between south Portland and Saco. The construction of this critical trail segment will fully connect the trail in the area and provide 16 continuous off-road miles between the two cities.

After years of delays caused by everything from difficulty securing easements to a global pandemic, the trail-building effort is finally starting to take shape, with construction having begun in June, the Portland Press Herald reported July 12, 2025.

When the Eastern Trail Alliance launched its first fundraising campaign, it believed the gap could be closed by 2017, at a cost of $4.1 million. Today, if the new work goes smoothly, it will be just 10 years behind schedule and nearly $3 million over budget.

Funding was sourced from the Town of Scarborough, the City of South Portland, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), the Eastern Trail Alliance, individual and corporate donors and state and federal funds.

But after the years of complications, Shaw Brothers Construction, in Gorham, signed on this spring to finally close the trail gap for about $5.5 million.

Just getting to where construction crews are now on site has required years of determination, patience and perseverance.

"This project is a huge win not only for Scarborough and south Portland, but for the entire region," said Joshua Reny, south Portland's assistant city manager.

The new section of trail is expected to be completed by November 2027, according to the Portland news source.

"One of the biggest challenges right now for anyone using active transportation is north-south connectivity and doing it in a safe way," said Chris Chop, the director of transportation for the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

Closing the gap is "a huge deal," said Chop, who likened the Eastern Trail to U.S. Highway 1 for off-road transportation.

Spine for Biking, Walking

In Scarborough, the northern, off-road segment of the Eastern Trail currently ends at the Nonesuch River, where a bridge is being constructed to begin filling the gap.

From there, plans call for the new portion of the trail to turn south, then curve east and across some railroad tracks. As it heads east, the path will stretch through a power corridor until it runs into Pleasant Hill Road, where a crosswalk with flashing pedestrian signals will be installed.

From Pleasant Hill Road, the trail will loop around Prouts Pond and north to the Wainwright Sports Complex in south Portland. Wainwright provides a connection to the Greenbelt multi-use path, which extends to Bug Light Park in Saco.

Dakota Hewlett, MaineDOT's active transportation planner, described the trail as "the spine for biking and walking" in the region.

"From that spine, municipalities are able to connect to neighborhoods, business areas, downtowns, beaches — all those destinations we can think of in southern Maine," Hewlett said.

The new link could be "a real game-changer," Scott Kunkler, the Scarborough Land Trust's conservation director, told the Press Herald.

"The connection goes beyond just recreation," he said. "It could encourage more people to choose active transportation options for daily commutes or errands, helping to reduce reliance on vehicles."

Finding Trail's Beginnings

Exactly when the Close the Gap project officially came to be is difficult to pinpoint, according to the Portland newspaper.

It can roughly be traced to the early 2000s, when the idea first gained traction; or to 2012, when the first fundraising campaign was launched; or even to 2017, when formal plans to finish the trail began to take shape.

The project predates most, if not all, of those local officials involved in it today.

"It's gone through four different local administrators on our staff who have either moved on or retired," said Tom Hall, Scarborough's town manager since 2008. "It ended up on my desk about three and a half years ago."

While Scarborough municipal officials are at the project's helm, closing the gap has been a product of collaboration, with contributions coming from many sources.

Jennifer Grant, MaineDOT's director of planning, said the trail gap project dovetails with her agency's goals.

"Part of that vision is really supporting and improving quality of life, access to jobs, education, recreation and all types of essential services," she said.

The Eastern Trail Alliance got the ball rolling by building community support and raising at least $500,000, according to Chelsey Berlin, its director since 2023.

By 2017, the alliance had contributed $50,000 and raised another $130,000 via private donations. Local families, nonprofits and businesses also have donated upward of $300,000.

The majority of the project's initial funding — a mix of state and federal money exceeding $2 million — was allocated through MaineDOT, with Scarborough and south Portland kicking in a combined $287,000. When another $1 million from the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System was pledged, the initial goal of $4.1 million had been reached.

For a time, it seemed as though closing the gap on time and within budget was in reach.

Closing the Gap Hits Rocky Terrain

But the list of hurdles that the Eastern Trail's organizers have had to clear since 2017 has been lengthy. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major momentum-killer as it derailed the gap project for several months.

In late 2020, as things picked up again, negotiations began on easements to make way for the path.

"Right of way is always a challenge with any federally-funded project just because of all the red tape," said Angela Blanchette, Scarborough's town engineer. "This one seemed a little more challenging."

Eventually, the town secured easements from three private property owners, as well as Central Maine Power, which eventually permitted the project to run along part of its power line corridor.

After a few years of protracted negotiations with both Pan Am Railways, which controlled the railroad that the trail must cross; and CSX Corp, which purchased Pan Am in 2022, an agreement was finally reached in 2024 allowing construction to begin.

By then, though, the trail gap project's budget had climbed significantly.

Some of the $4.1 million had been expended in the longer-than-anticipated planning and permitting stages, but the meat of the work — primarily bridge and trail construction — was subject to COVID-19-induced inflation.

By 2023, the overall cost of the project was pegged at $6.6 million and has crept to over $7 million since then, according to MaineDOT. The state agency is overseeing distribution of federal funding, which will pay for the bulk of the project.

End is In Sight

Now that crews from Shaw Brothers is hard at work on closing the trail gap, Hewlett, the active transportation planner at MaineDOT, told the Press Herald that it has not quite sunk in yet that the project is finally under way.

"I don't know if we'll fully realize that excitement until it's open," he said. "I'm really looking forward to being able to bike on it."

Berlin, the Eastern Trail Alliance director, said members of her group are extremely excited and grateful that construction has started.

"This is a significant milestone for the Eastern Trail community and multimodal infrastructure in southern Maine," Berlin said.

At Scarborough Town Hall, there is excitement, pride and maybe even a small sigh of relief.

"Folks have been waiting for this day to come," Hall said, "and thankfully, they have been incredibly patient."