The Maine Department of Transportation has announced that it will launch a new Portland-West Study to identify and relieve traffic congestion in the region. Traffic challenges in Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook will be the focus of the 15-month study.

Tom Poirier, Gorham’s director of community development, said the town of Gorham welcomes MDOT’s study, which was released April 21.

“This is an important and timely step toward addressing the increasing transportation challenges our region is facing,” Poirier said in an April 22 email. “Over the past several years, Gorham and the municipalities west of Portland have experienced significant growth, and with that has come increased traffic volumes on key corridors that serve not only our residents, but also commuters and commerce traveling throughout the greater Portland area. Congestion affects quality of life, economic development, and public safety, so it’s critical that we take a comprehensive, regional approach to solutions.”

According to MDOT, the study would provide recommendations by the spring of 2027.

The study will be launched the week of May 18 with the first of three public discussions. Dates, times and locations are yet to be announced.

The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4 to seek approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.

The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing rush-hour traffic in the commuter corridor along Routes 22 and 114.

The connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook and other properties.

According to the MDOT press release, the new study will build on “prior work in the corridor.” The study is intended as a “comprehensive, community-driven process” to solve traffic congestion in the region. An advisory committee that will include residents, business leaders, advocacy groups, transportation representatives and municipal officials will guide the study process. The advisory committee will first meet on Tuesday, April 28.

Poirier said Gorham looks forward to actively participating in the study “ensuring that the needs and perspectives of our community are well represented. Collaboration at the local, regional, and state level will be key to identifying effective, long-term solutions that support mobility and sustainability across the greater Portland area.”

“This is about bringing people together,” MDOT Commissioner Dale Doughty said in the press release. “Communities in this region have been talking about traffic challenges for a long time.

“The town appreciates MDOT’s willingness to take a broader look at the interconnected nature of our roadways and to engage municipalities in developing data-driven strategies,” Poirier said. “We are particularly interested in exploring a range of potential improvements, including increased roadway capacity, other roadway safety enhancements, traffic management strategies, and multimodal options that can provide residents with safe and efficient alternatives.”