A concept illustration of the new Acadia Gateway Center. (MaineDot image)
The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) in late May joined with local, state and federal partners from both the public and private sectors to celebrate the beginning of construction on the new Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton.
This project is the culmination of years of study and planning to create a welcome center and transit hub for Downeast Maine and Acadia National Park, the Penobscot Bay Pilot reported.
In March, MaineDOT awarded the Acadia Gateway Center construction contract to Nickerson & O'Day in Brewer for $27.7 million. On-site work started in early May.
Once completed by May 2025, the facility will serve as a place where visitors can access regional tourism information, purchase park entrance passes and connect with transit options to help them explore the region car-free.
Additionally, the Pilot noted that the new building will incorporate several sustainability features, including a geothermal heating and cooling system, a rooftop solar panel array and electric vehicle charging stations.
"Partnerships and perseverance pay off," said Bruce Van Note, MaineDOT's commissioner, in a news release. "The team at MaineDOT is proud to be delivering this long-awaited project. We are grateful to our partners at the Federal Transit Administration [FTA], the National Park Service [NPS], Friends of Acadia [FOA] and Downeast Transportation.
"Not only will the Acadia Gateway Center enhance the experiences of the millions of visitors who come to this region every year, but also it will have long-lasting economic and sustainability impacts on the Downeast region," he added.
The new Acadia Gateway Center is being constructed on a site in Trenton that sits between Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island; its location was designed to intercept traffic traveling south on Maine Highway 3 before arriving onto the island.
"The permitting of the Acadia Gateway Center and the Downeast Transportation facility is the result of collaboration between MaineDOT and the Town of Trenton," explained Fred Ehrlenbach, first selectman of the town. "Hopefully, the visitors and locals alike will take advantage of this free transportation service."
With nearly four million visits, Acadia National Park was the fifth most visited national park in 2022. According to a recent report by the Maine Office of Tourism (MOT), visitors to Downeast Maine, including Acadia, had an economic impact of more than $1.5 billion last year.
"National Parks are a popular destination for travelers, and as one of the most visited, Acadia is a major draw for travel to Maine," said Steve Lyons, MOT's director. "The new transportation hub in Trenton will improve the visitor experience with expanded park access and information about regional and statewide attractions."
New Center Culmination of Two Decades of Work
The current construction is to complete the final two phases of work that began more than 20 years ago. The first phase, completed in 2012, included the construction of a park-and-ride lot as well as office space and a bus maintenance facility for Downeast Transportation Inc., which runs the Island Explorer shuttle.
"First enshrined in a memorandum of understanding among 20 partners in 1999, completion of the Acadia Gateway Center marks the realization of Island Explorer's Phase 3 and the culmination of a quarter century of planning, partnership, and perseverance," noted Paul Murphy, executive director of Downeast Transportation. "We stand on the shoulders of visionaries, too many of whom are gone and unable to see the ultimate fruit of their great work."
The Friends of Acadia began working on the project with its other partners in 2002. Five years later, FOA purchased the land being used for the park-and-ride lot, bus maintenance facility and welcome center before selling it to MaineDOT. The group has remained a partner throughout the building's planning efforts and is funding a portion of the Acadia Gateway Center's construction.
"Thank you to all of the donors who helped make this exciting project possible," said Eric Stiles, president and CEO of Friends of Arcadia. "The Acadia Gateway Center is critically important infrastructure to help ensure that Acadia's visitors have a positive experience. With park visitation on the rise, it will reduce traffic congestion by providing vital opportunities for a car-free experience in the park."
In addition to private support from FOA and public support from MaineDOT, NPS and FTA also are providing federal funding for the national park's newest facility.
FTA Regional Administrator Peter Butler said, in a statement, that Acadia Gateway Center will "encourage people to leave their cars behind" when coming to the park.
"FTA's support of this well-thought-out project is part of our work to continue to make better travel experiences, improve air quality, and take a bite out of climate change," he added.
"Many of my favorite family memories have been made in Maine's great outdoors," added U.S. Sen. Angus King, D-Maine, and chair of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee. "When someone asks me what they should do on their trip to Maine, I always tell them to get outside, and there are few better places to do it than in Acadia National Park."
He described the new Acadia Gateway Center as a perfect example of how federal and state entities can work together with local organizations to expand opportunities for the park and its surrounding communities.
"I'm grateful to Acadia's partners for their continued work on this project to keep our outdoors open and accessible," King added.
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