The busy intersection of Routes 115 and 302 will be the subject of a major renovation project in the coming years. Rory Sweeting / Lakes Region Weekly

Windham is embarking on an ambitious project to rein in congestion and make North Windham easier to navigate for travelers.

North Windham Moves was conceived as the culmination of several decades worth of traffic analysis studies that found that Route 302, the main highway passing through North Windham, had serious problems regarding accessibility and traffic congestion. Drafting the plan took place over the course of late 2020 and early 2021. Once the plan was presented to the Town Council, town representatives met with Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note, as well as Windham’s state Legislative representatives at the time, Sen. Bill Diamond and Reps. Mark Bryant and Patrick Corey.

Next, the town applied for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant. All three of the roads at Boody’s Corner, the main business district in North Windham, met the qualifications for the RAISE grant, a federally funded grant to help improve transportation infrastructure. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King assisted in securing the grant, and in 2023, the town received $25 million in RAISE money, with the town and state each contributing 10%. Windham property taxes will not be affected, as most of the rest of the town’s share money will be paid for by tax-increment financing district funds.

“Basically, what this does is make improvements on the intersection of 115 and 302 all the way up to Whites Bridge and 302,” said Town Manager Barry Tibbetts as he described the project to the Lakes Region Weekly.

Through North Windham Moves, the area around Boody’s Corner will be revamped considerably, with connector routes to be built between Route 115 and Franklin Drive, as well as between Manchester Road and Whites Bridge Road. Tibbetts anticipated that the intersection will see a 35% decrease in traffic, as cars learn to take local access roads and get to businesses the back way. The road improvements, Tibbetts said, were expected to carry into the 2040s.

The new road improvements will begin in 2027, following the completion of a revamp of North Windham’s sewer system. Tibbetts explained that the timeline is longer because, since the project is using federal funds, several government agencies, such as the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, need to sign off. It’s expected to be completed by late 2029 or early 2030 at the earliest.

In addition to reducing congestion and accidents in Windham itself, North Windham Moves will also improve road access to the Lakes Region as a whole. Currently, Boody’s Corner acts as a chokepoint for those traveling to communities around Sebago Lake. Thus, Tibbetts noted, improvements are needed to help traffic flow quicker and more efficiently, as well as allow locals to go north for shopping without having to deal with so much traffic.

Another major change is the upgrading of four existing traffic lights into synchronized “smart lights.” Comparing the technology to artificial intelligence, Tibbetts explained that a camera will be installed that reads the number of cars, allowing the lights to communicate with one another to figure out how and when to change to prevent congestion. He noted that there was already similar technology in place in Augusta, as well as his former workplace of Kennebunk.

In the long-term, North Windham Moves is just one of the many plans that the town has for the area. These include a trail from the end of Franklin Drive to Chaffin Pond that loops back to Route 302, as well a new hotel to complement the existing Microtel.

Speaking about how the project will significantly improve walkability in North Windham, Tibbetts said that, “From the perspective of the community, where you never had walkability and could never ride a bike, this (project) will be cool.”