By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

The long-awaited Gorham Bypass opened six months ahead of schedule following a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 5.

The 3.4-mile addition to Route 112 is designed to alleviate traffic congestion at the intersection of Routes 202/4 and 25 in downtown Gorham. The road begins two miles south of Gorham center on the west side of Route 114 and runs in a northerly direction around the western side of town, where it connects with Routes 202/4 and 25, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

Construction of the $28 million project began in August 2007, about 50 years after talk of the project began. Shaw Brothers of Gorham was the contractor for the roadwork, while Technical Construction Inc. of Turner built the Flaggy Meadow Bridge. The bypass will be closed for several days next spring in order to place a top layer of pavement on part of the project, according to the Maine DOT.

At the ceremony, Maine DOT Commissioner David Cole praised the teamwork he said made the project possible.

“The Gorham community and Maine DOT worked together as partners on this project since its inception. The early completion of this multi-million dollar project is a testament to what can be done when we work together on transportation challenges,” Cole said.

Gorham Town Council Chairman Matt Robinson thanked all involved with the planning and implementation of the project and said Shaw Brothers did an “excellent” job on the project. 

“If I was to tell people 10 years ago you’d see the Red Sox win two World Series and the bypass open, they’d think I was crazy,” he said.

Town Councilor Burleigh Loveitt said the project could be the beginning of a link to connect the town to “the rest of the world.”

“One might have thought we’d never live to see this day,” he said. “There’s more to come. We’re ready to go on to the next link.”

Kathy Childs, Greg Fry and Christina Childs traveled to Gorham from Randolph to watch the ceremony. All three worked as flaggers with Maine Professional Road Services while construction was underway. They said people driving through the construction were “great” and would wave and yell encouraging words of thanks as they passed.

“The communication between Shaw Brothers and traffic control was fantastic,” Kathy Childs said.

Jonathan McDade, Maine Division Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, said the bypass will provide a connection to education and transportation while alleviating heavy congestion in the center of town. 

“This is a red letter day for all of us here in Gorham. It’s amazing we stand here not quite 16 months from the ground-breaking,” he said. “This road is going to help a lot of people here in this community.”

McDade also praised the “high level of teamwork” that led to the early opening.

“The attention that was given to communication was invaluable in getting this done,” he said. “Everyone involved in this project came to the table with a can-do attitude. This is a great day for all of us.”