PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 29, 2025
Past and present leaders of the Eastern Trail Alliance and Eastern Trail Management District as well as town officials joined a much-awaited ground breaking ceremony Monday for the Close the Gap project of the Eastern Trail. Three weeks ago, construction began on the 1.6-mile section between Wainwright Athletic Complex and the Nonesuch River crossing, a $7 million project more than two decades in the making. Once completed, the trail will allow 16 miles of uninterrupted, off-road passage between downtown Saco and Bug Light Park in South Portland. Ryan Sommer, president of the ETMD, said, “It transforms how we move, how we connect and how we experience Maine’s natural beauty.”