The Twin Cities won’t get a turnpike interchange nearer to downtown, according to a Maine Department of Transportation study being reviewed at a pair of meetings next week.
A new interchange wouldn’t improve traffic in either city, according to traffic engineers.
“The study basically says we are just not there right now,” Don Craig, director of the transportation center, said.
Officials from the DOT and the Androscoggin Transportation Center will present the plan to the public in meetings Monday and Tuesday in Lewiston and Auburn.
“These are really an opportunity for the public to give their input on the plans,” Craig said. “It’s already been presented to the city councils to get their input. Now, it’s mostly finished, except for the public comment.”
In Lewiston, the meeting is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Ramada Conference Center, 490 Pleasant St.
In Auburn, the meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Fireside Inn and Suites, 1777 Washington St.
The cities had been studying where to put a new downtown interchange for years. The Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center had settled on three plans — building new interchanges on River Road in Lewiston, on Route 136 north of the turnpike in Auburn or on both sides of the river.
But the distances between the proposed interchanges show that they would not help speed traffic downtown. Currently, northbound traffic headed downtown, exiting in Auburn must drive 4.7 miles along Washington Street to reach downtown. Northbound traffic exiting in Lewiston must drive an additional 4.5 miles between the two cities, then drive an additional 3.4 miles to reach the downtown.
A new interchange in the middle wouldn’t shave off any distance, since drivers would still need to travel nearly 3.5 miles between the Auburn and downtown interchanges, then another 3 miles along the river to reach the downtown.
Instead, highway and transportation officials hope to improve the area around the interchanges.
In Auburn, representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority presented plans for $4 million of improvements to Auburn’s Exit 75 and the surroundings over the two years.
In Lewiston, the state has set aside $20 million to build new on-ramps at Exit 80 and make other improvement to Plourde Parkway and nearby Lisbon street through 2015.
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