Over the past two months, trucks traveling along Haigis Parkway have transported hundreds of thousands of yards of soil to the construction site that, next year, could bring more than 3 million visitors to Scarborough and create 700 new jobs.

Tenants are lining up to fill in the two, 20,000-square-foot retail buildings that will accompany Cabela’s, the hunting, fishing and outdoor gear retail store that will serve as the site’s main attraction.

Though work on the site is under way, an official groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday at 10 a.m. will mark the beginning of the construction on the foundation for the 135,000-square-foot Cabela’s store. It also points to a certain future of more development along Haigis Parkway.

Officials from two chain restaurants – Cracker Barrel and Famous Dave’s – recently met with the Scarborough Planning Board, and, according to developer Gene Beaudoin, of New England Expeditions, plans are in place to bring in 15 to 20 more retail and restaurant tenants, including a coffee shop, a candy store and a hair salon.

The building site that abuts the turnpike exit is just the first phase of the Gateway at Scarborough project. Construction of the second phase – four office buildings totaling 80,000 square feet and a five-story, 200-room hotel – will commence in the early fall. According to real estate broker Tony Armstrong, of Properties Northeast, which is representing New England Expeditions, the project is “well-positioned to attract office tenants.”

“We’re the only development of any size that already has its permits in place,” Armstrong said.

As the first major development to hit Haigis Parkway, its effect will go well beyond the boundaries and will act as a gateway for Scarborough’s new, up-and-coming commercial corridor. According to Harvey Rosenfeld, president of Scarborough Economic Development Corp., more projects for the parkway are already in the works and will be coming to the planning board over the next few months.

“There are all kinds of properties changing hands,” Rosenfeld said.

Originally, he said, the town imagined a more office-oriented development would be the first to take a bite out of the parkway. However, he said, the retail stores and restaurants will work just as well.

“It takes somebody to jump in,” Rosenfeld said. “Development’s risky.”

Armstrong isn’t concerned about whether the stores would be successful – the location of the project makes it practically impossible not to be, he said. Armstrong said 60,000 cars pass by exit 42 on the turnpike every day.

In order to accommodate traffic to the site, Payne Road, near the entrance to the shopping center, will be widened from two lanes to seven. At the intersection with Payne Road, Haigis Parkway will gain another turning lane, and two lanes will be added to the four coming off the turnpike. To help the developer pay for these and other infrastructure improvements, the project is under a tax increment financing agreement with town, in which the town will return a portion of the development’s taxes as the project nears completion.

“The advantage of being nearby the exit is the traffic will be concentrated and largely confined to that area,” Armstrong said.

Another selling point for the project was the town of Scarborough itself.

“The demographics are excellent,” Armstrong said. He also noted that cooperation of the council and the planning board has made the process more pleasant and makes the town more attractive.

Though Armstrong said the location would make it easy for any retail store to do well, it’s a perfect match for the outdoor store.

“It’s a winner’s site anyway,” he said. “With Cabela’s, it makes it a big winner.”

Armstrong expects weekend travelers to Sugarloaf and Sunday River to make a habit of stopping at the shops.

“Where as they might have gone to Freeport before, they’ll stop here and Freeport,” he said. But, he insists, the presence of L.L. Bean, which also sells merchandise made for outdoor activities, shouldn’t pose a threat to business.

“The overlap of products is less than 20 percent,” Armstrong said, noting that Cabela’s carries “a lot less cotton sweaters.” According to Armstrong, at Cabela’s, the emphasis is on outdoor equipment as opposed to more casual apparel.

“When you see 200 bows and arrows lined up in a section of a store, you know something’s different,” he said. Armstrong believes the equipment offered will bring a lot of customers – about a third of the total – from northern Maine, where hunting and fishing are particularly popular. He said the rest will be split between southern Maine residents and visitors from out of state, including those from Canada.

Armstrong said the average visit to a Cabela’s store lasts two and half hours. Though an aquarium, a wildlife taxidermy display and training classes will provide some entertainment for people who can’t spend 45 minutes picking out the perfect pair of binoculars, the less outdoorsy shoppers will also be able to walk through the heavily landscaped paths connecting Cabela’s to the other retail stores and restaurants.

The two large sit-down eateries both have southern-themed menus. Cracker Barrel, known for comfort foods covered in gravy, will also have a store adjacent to the dining room that sells rocking chairs, stuffed bears and emblems of Americana. The latest addition to the site, Famous Dave’s, is known for its barbecue dinners.

“We have some of the best barbecue from around the country,” said Famous Dave’s spokesman Glenn Drasher. According to Drasher, the restaurant’s founder, Dave Anderson, spent 25 years searching the states for the best recipes – the pork seasoning comes from Georgia, the spare ribs from St. Louis and the beef brisket from Texas – and everything is smoked in-house.

Aside from the two big restaurants, Armstrong said, they are looking for local businesses to fill in the 15 or so slots left for retail stores and are intent on having some Maine-themed shops.

“There’s a real opportunity here for local companies to participate,” Armstrong said. He said area laborers have already seen the local impact of the project during the construction stage. According to Ken Grondin, of Grondin Construction, between 20 and 30 local, independent truckers have been hired to help in the early stages.

“It’s been a pretty great project for the local economy already,” Armstrong said – and he only expects it to continue. “This is going to be a big economic driver, bringing tourist dollars into the state.”