Mountain Division Trail project in Windham could be part of Maine’s Three-Year Plan

By Ed Pierce

After years of discussion, studies and surveys, the final segment to extend the Mountain Division Trail from Windham could be added to Maine Department of Transportation’s Three-Year Plan.

A $16.2 million project to extend the Mountain
Division Trail from Windham to Westbrook has
been recommended to be included on the Maine
Department of Transportation's Three-Year Plan.
The 5-mile stretch would finish a continuous
nearly 10-mile off-road bicycle and pedestrian 
link running from Standish to Westbrook.
COURTESY PHOTO

During a meeting of the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System’s Advisory Committee on Oct. 7, PACTS members voted to recommend the project to be included on MaineDOT’s Three-Year Plan spanning 2026-2027-2028.

Aubrey Miller, Senior Transportation Program Manager for the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), said that following the Draft Plan’s adoption by the committee, the GPCOG Policy Board will review and consider adopting the Regional Trail Plan on Oct. 23.

The $16.2 million project will extend the Mountain Division Trail from its current end at Main Street (Route 202), in Windham, and extend the trail about 5 miles south to Bridge Street in Westbrook. Doing this will create a continuous, nearly 10-mile off-road bicycle and pedestrian transportation link running from Standish to Westbrook, Miller said.

In 2012, a preliminary design and draft report for the Mountain Division Trail using old railroad beds and tracks was developed and submitted to the MDOT, the City of Westbrook, and Town of Windham for initial review but the project was put on hold because of insufficient funding. The project sat dormant for a decade until in 2022 the Town of Windham applied to the MDOT’s Quality Community Program, seeking funding for the design and construction of the multi-use trail.

A $450,000 grant for engineering and design work for the project was obtained, with a report submitted to the Maine Department of Transportation upon its completion.

Once funded by MaineDOT, project work will include new pavement, gravel, curbing, drainage, signing and striping, retaining walls, fencing, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons located at the trail crossings on Bridge Street in Westbrook, Depot Street in Windham, and Main Street (Route 202) in Windham.

Plan specifics include installing a prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge over Mallison Falls Road with a structural subconsultant hired to complete the design of the bridge. MaineDOT will hire a bridge firm to evaluate the Inkhorn Brook and Colley Wright Brook stone arch culverts and impacts to the project will be further evaluated as trail work progresses.

A final plan version was submitted to MaineDOT in July 2024 and recommended bicycle trail design speeds between 12 to 30 mph, with a speed of 18-mph being generally accepted in relatively flat areas. Because of the adjacent near rail of the railroad track, the plan called for the near edge of the trail to be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the near rail.

Plans also propose introducing vertical curves to minimize drainage and property impacts, as well as to improve the trail construction. It prefers that the trail width be 10 feet although reduced to 8 feet minimum for short distances where a physical barrier or right of way does not allow for the full width of the trail. The proposed shoulder widths in the plan are 3 to 5 feet.

If accepted as part of the Maine Three-Year Plan by MaineDOT, the subgrade and surface of the trail will be graded to drain away from the rail line unless adequate drainage is provided by the trail developer to prevent trail runoff and providing that there are no impediments to normal rail line maintenance.

Equestrian use will be allowed on the proposed trail and snowmobile passage may be accommodated by removing the middle bollard of the trail during winter months.

The proposal includes sidewalk reconstruction along Main Street (Route 202), Bridge Street, Depot Street, Pierce Street, and Stillwater Drive and rectangular rapid flashing beacons to be installed at the mid-block crossing located for Main Street (Route 202) in Windham, Depot Street in Windham and Bridge Street in Westbrook.

In November 2023, voters statewide approved the $30 million Maine Trails Bond and funding for the new multi-use trail could be derived from that bond. Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will administer $30 million with about $7.5 million per year in competitive grant funding to towns, organizations, and clubs to support the design, maintenance, and construction of trails, prioritizing accessibility and sustainable design standards. The bond provides equal access for all types of trail projects, including for motorized trail use, non-motorized uses, and multi-use trails; and to help leverage other sources of public and private funding to support trail projects in Maine.

The Mountain Division Trail itself follows the former Portland and Ogdensburg Railway. When Maine Central Railroad originally acquired the line, the name was changed to the Mountain Division Rail Line and it was originally built to connect the port of Portland with the St. Lawrence Seaway in Ogdensburg, New York with a spur connecting to Montreal. By the time that its construction was finished, there was more competition, and it became difficult for the railroad to be profitable. Passenger service for the rail line was suspended in 1958 with freight service halted in 1983 and by 1994, all rail service on the former Mountain Division Rail Line in Maine was abandoned.

A public hearing was conducted by the state in May 2021 regarding a feasibility study to replace the existing rail tracks with a paved, multi-use trail. Under federal law, if railroad tracks are removed, the corridor needs to be railbed meaning that it is available to be converted back for railroad use if needed at any point in the future.

The first mile-and-a-half of the proposed trail leading south from South Windham is a flat walking path along an undeveloped rail bed. The remaining 3.5 miles ending on Bridge Street near the Westbrook Community Center is slightly more rugged and contains railroad tracks which would need to be removed to finish the project.

Currently the Standish-to-Windham segment of the Mountain Division Trail runs for 5.6 miles. It starts at the parking lot behind the South Windham Fire Station, and crosses Route 202, where the 10-foot-wide paved trail follows the unused rail tracks for 1.6 miles to a crossing over the Presumpscot River. Just past the Presumpscot River bridge, a side trail heads downhill past Shaw Park and to a bridge just above Gambo Dam. The trail continues west for 3 miles to a gate and then continues up a hill as a gravel path for 1.2 miles to the trailhead at the south shore of Sebago Lake. <

Town hopes sidewalk improvements spur South Windham growth

By Ed Pierce

The revitalization of South Windham is yet another step closer after members of the Windham Town council have endorsed submission of an application for Community Development Block Grant funds to move forward with a concept planning study for sidewalk reconstruction in the area.

A project to rebuild an existing sidewalk along the east side of
Main Street from the Mountain Division Trail to Depot Street
and on the west side from the railroad tracks to Depot Street
is intended to improve safety for pedestrians and help spur
economic growth in South Windham Village.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

Town councilors approved the application during a December meeting and the application is expected to be completed and submitted by the end of January. The proposed concept planning study would review the most cost-effective way to reconstruct existing sidewalks and construct new sidewalks running from Depot Street in South Windham to the Mountain Division Trail.

Town Manager Barry Tibbetts told councilors that the proposed sidewalk improvements are intended to improve safety for pedestrians in South Windham and boost economic growth along Main Street there.

According to Tibbetts, the project would rebuild some 1,250 feet of existing sidewalk along the east side of Main Street from the Blue Seal store near the Mountain Division Trail crossing to Depot Street in the center of South Windham Village.

He said other planned improvements would replace old and failing retaining walls along the 1,250-foot section of rebuilt sidewalk on the east side of Main Street and to install pedestrian lighting along that same 1,250-foot section of rebuilt sidewalk.

The project would also create 1,250 feet of new 5-foot-wide paved sidewalk with granite curbing along the west side of Main Street from the Mountain Division Trail crossing to Depot Street in the center of South Windham Village.

During last June’s Annual Town Meeting, Windham voters authorized a $275,000 bond for creation of a sidewalk from Blue Seal Feed on Gray Road to Depot Street in South Windham sometime in 2024 or 2025.

The new sidewalk coincides with a project that was completed last fall that repaved the parking lot at the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District at 35 Main St. in South Windham which shares a driveway with the town’s South Windham Fire Station. Reconfiguring the parking lot was a collaborative effort between Cumberland County, the Soil and Water Conservation District and the Town of Windham.

The town approached the Soil and Water Conservation District several years ago with the idea that a multi-use parking lot could benefit all interests in South Windham. Tenants of the Soil and Water Conservation District building, hikers using nearby trails, individuals using nearby businesses, and the town itself have benefitted from the updated parking lot.

“Back when we first looked at this, we originally looked at entrance issues in that area,” Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts said. “We thought we could work a partnership short-term, to fix the entrance problems and repave the driveway for parking but it turned out to be so much more.”

Windham councilors unanimously voted in December 2020 to sell the old vacant South Windham Fire Station at 8 Main St. for $125,000 to Great Falls Construction of Gorham, owned by Jon and Cindy Smith. They plan to turn the property into a brewhouse and restaurant.

South Windham Village itself was once a thriving industrial and commercial location because of its access to Maine Central railroad and situated near the Presumpscot River but today the area is mostly residential and town councilors and the Windham Economic Development Corporation are seeking for ways to spur economic growth there.

Last fall, an agreement was announced to clean up and demolish the old Keddy Mill site at 7 Depot St. in South Windham under an initiative to protect human health and the environment. Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and ITT LLC, the company responsible for the 6.93-acre Keddy Mill site say that the former industrial building on the site will be razed and contaminated materials there will be removed.

In the past year, Windham and Gorham have agreed to collaborate on a master plan focused on developing a community guided vision for the villages of South Windham and Little Falls. <

Work on Windham Middle School construction advancing

Portland's Lavallee Brensinger Company has been selected
as the architect of the new Windham Middle School
construction project and joined RSU 14 representatives at
a meeting in Augusta this week to discuss what needs to be
done to get the project started. The new school is expected
to be completed by the fall of 2026. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
 

PROJECT EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2026

By Ed Pierce

The plan to renovate and build a new Windham Middle School remains at the forefront of RSU 14’s agenda this summer and an architectural firm has been chosen to lead the project.

In June, the RSU 14 Board of Directors voted 8-0 approving the Lavallee Brensinger Company of Portland to serve as architects for the project and this week, RSU 14 Superintendent Christopher Howell, Bill Hansen, RSU 14’s Director of Facilities, Property Services and Special Projects, joined representatives of Lavallee Brensinger at a meeting in Augusta with the head of school construction projects for the state of Maine.

Howell said that the pre-design meeting in Augusta clarified how much in depth of a study that RSU 14 will need to complete for an analysis of potential renovation of the current WMS building and discussed the possibility of constructing the building on the current WMS campus across from Windham High School.

“Since this is a state funded project, we will be working with the state to negotiate the project fees associated with the first two steps,” Howell said. “The fees for the final construction project are based on a percentage of the total cost of the project.”

He said Lavallee Brensinger architects will be working with the Windham Middle School Building Committee while RSU 14 works through the construction process.  

“Bill Hansen and I will be acting as liaisons between the committee and the firm,” Howell said. “The first step of the project will include a new versus renovation analysis of the current Windham School Building that will be completed by the firm. If the data points to new construction, which we are anticipating, we will work with the firm to complete a site analysis for a new building.”

According to Howell, the RSU 14 Board of Directors chose Lavallee Brensinger as the project architect based upon their extensive experience with high quality school construction projects and their proven ability to complete projects efficiently and economically.

“The firm has demonstrated an ability to work with clients to help them fulfill their visions for a school plant and has a reputation for completing high quality school buildings,” Howell said. “Most recently, the group completed Sanford High School and Morse High School. They are currently building a middle school that is similar to our project for the Oyster River School District in New Hampshire. They have a reputation for shepherding projects that are completed on time and on budget.”

Howell said the project remains on track to be completed for students by the fall of 2026.

After several years of being ranked at Number 5 overall among state-approved and subsidized construction projects, RSU 14 learned in March that the highly anticipated project was greenlighted by the state to move forward although how much actual funding for the project is yet unknown. The determining factor for funding depends upon whether the aging 44-year-old school will be rebuilt or renovated.      

Howell said that the original Windham Middle School was completed in 1977 and was built for a capacity of 483 students.  In the past year, that number has now grown to 636 students, with sixth graders housed for some classes at the adjacent Field Allen School, originally constructed in the 1930s.

“Over the years, the Field Allen School has had several minor renovations and has been incorporated into the programming of the school.  Most recently, two new classrooms were added to the building to accommodate a large sixth-grade class,” Howell said. “The building has served the district well over the years but is starting to show signs that it is reaching the end of its usable life cycle as a school building.  Aside from the inability to have all students in the building under one roof, the main middle school building has small classrooms, outdated science rooms, restroom facilities that do not meet modern requirements, a worn-out heating system, outdated windows, and a less than adequate electrical system.”   

During the 2020-2021 school year, more than 200 students had to transition back and forth from Field Allen School to Windham Middle School for classes in art, music, science, STEM, gym and other activities including the school cafeteria.

Howell said that RSU 14 originally applied for the Maine Department of Education’s Major Capital Construction Program in 2016 for funding for construction and was ranked as the fifth-highest priority among 74 proposed school construction projects statewide each year before being greenlighted for funding in March 2021.

“The program is highly competitive as a positive rating in the process can lead to a significant financial savings for school districts,” Howell said. “A majority of construction costs for school projects selected through this program will be covered by the state.”

Once a district applies for funding, Maine DOE reviews and rates the project based upon need. The State Board of Education then funds as many projects from the list as available debt limit funds allow. Working with the State Board of Education, Maine DOE establishes both size and financial limits on projects.

Local school districts may exceed these limits at local expense through municipal bonds, but the state bears the major financial burden of capital costs for approved school construction projects. As such, Maine DOE first looks at the possibility of renovations or renovations with additions and new school construction projects are only considered in instances in which renovation projects are not economically or educationally feasible.

According to Howell, there are 21 steps in the school construction process for state funded projects.

“The first three steps are steps related to the application for a building.  The project started step 4 last week when an advertisement was completed for architectural services for the project,” he said. “Once an architectural firm is selected, the district will work with that firm to complete an analysis of new versus renovation and to conduct an analysis of possible sites in the district to construct a new building.”

He said specific work by RSU 14 toward developing a vision for the new school building started in 2019. 

“The district engaged the services of an experienced school planner named Frank Locker who has worked with teams across the world to design and build new school buildings,” Howell said.  “Frank has been working with a group of stakeholders through a process of examining middle level programming, student grouping, functionality and equipment, environment in the new learning space, future learning, and how the building can be used for all members of the RSU 14 community.  A final report from the work of this group will be presented this spring.  The document will be used by the architects to develop concept designs for the new building.”

This spring WMS Principal Drew Patin said he was thrilled that the project is now moving ahead.

“Not only will we be able to create a safe and welcoming school, but we will have the opportunity to design a building that meets the educational needs of our students in this current age and for generations of students to come,” Patin said. “We will create spaces that promote lifelong skills, such as collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and perseverance.” <