By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

How much does a turning lane cost? In Scarborough: just a small piece of history.

On Monday, the Scarborough Signs building at the corner of Pine Point Road and Route 1 fell to the ground. The building, built more than 30 years and valued at more than $52,000, was destroyed seven months after the town council voted to convert the property into a new turning lane to help commuters along Route 1.

“Our sole purpose in purchasing the property is to accommodate the intersection,” Town Manager Tom Hall said. “By adding an extra lane, we are going to have better lane alignment.”

In November, the town of Scarborough paid approximately $260,000 for the .21-acre parcel that was assessed at $150,000 by the town assessor’s office. Hall said the property will be used to create a right turning lane for those turning from Pine Point Road onto Route 1 north, hopefully aligning the other two lanes with those across the intersection.

The project is “a small piece” of a major redesign of the entire Dunstan Corner traffic pattern, which Hall said is currently less than ideal during peak commuter hours.

“Historically, there have been a lot of problems with that intersection,” Hall said. “The real dilemma is the short distance between the intersection of Payne Road and Route 1. The distance between the lights – traffic just backs up both ways and it gums up the whole works.”

Hall said the town will use Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, or PACTS, funding for the Dunstan Corner project. Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System Senior Transportation Planner Paul Niehoff said PACTS is willing to provide more than $260,000 to assist with the engineering phase of the project, which has not yet begun. 

In configuring the new intersection, Hall said town officials would consult with members of the Payne Road Traffic Study Committee, which has investigated the best way to improve traffic flow from Dunstan Corner to the Haigis Parkway since February. He said one focus of the study is to consider how Payne Road connects to Route 1. .

A final report from the study group is scheduled to be completed in August.

   Staff Writer Nate Jones may be reached at 282-4337 ext. 233.