Abby King, a Gorham resident, speaks against the planned Gorham Connector at a news conference at Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook in March. Kelley Bouchard/Staff Writer, file

The Maine Turnpike Authority will extend its original timeline for public comment and permit applications for the increasingly controversial Gorham Connector project, the state agency announced Thursday night.

The goal is to ensure a thorough review and integration of public feedback and accommodate upcoming leadership turnover at the authority, spokesperson Erin Courtney said in a statement posted on the agency’s website.

“Accuracy and completeness are more important than speed,” Courtney said.

The decision to extend the timeline comes after authority officials and their consultants heard 3.5 hours of public comment following a presentation on the project in Gorham in March. Similar public comment sessions were expected to be held soon after in Scarborough, Westbrook and South Portland but have yet to be scheduled.

“The volume and depth of the comments received at the March 25th meeting reflect the high level of public interest and concern regarding the project,” Courtney said in the statement. “MTA is committed to carefully reviewing these comments, addressing concerns, and incorporating feedback into the project design wherever feasible.”

The authority has spent at least $4.5 million acquiring land needed to build the 5-mile, four-lane spur, which is expected to cost well over $200 million to complete. It would run from Maine Turnpike Exit 45 in South Portland, through Westbrook and Scarborough, to the Gorham Bypass at Route 114 in Gorham.

The project faces mounting concern from opponents who believe it will worsen suburban sprawl and the commuter traffic congestion it’s meant to tame, as well as people who want to prevent it from cutting through Smiling Hill Farm on County Road in Westbrook.

Courtney’s statement noted that Peter Mills, longtime executive director of the authority, recently announced that he’s leaving the agency in early September.

“This change necessitates additional time to ensure that those taking over leadership of the project are fully briefed and integrated, so that we can provide the proper oversight and management that the public expects,” Courtney said.

Courtney didn’t say exactly when public review of the project would resume or when applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection would be submitted. Mills has said previously that applications would be submitted later this year.

“Future public engagements will be announced with ample notice when new information and materials are ready for review,” Courtney said.

In the meantime, she said, the authority will post new studies and materials on its website as they become available for public review and comment.

“If the project goes forward, the permit application would occur after the completion of the public process and consideration of all available information,” Courtney said. “We appreciate the public’s patience and continued engagement with the Gorham Connector project.”

Courtney said the authority “remains committed to transparency, public involvement, and the careful planning necessary to ensure this project meets the needs and expectations of the community.”