PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 7, 2025
When Andre Briere became executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority in April one month after the board of directors dumped the Gorham Connector proposal, he knew he was hired to fix it. He’s got a long to-do list, including reviving transparency and trust in the authority, increasing digital technology, security and automation, and improving service plazas with updated bathrooms, children’s play areas and new dining options. Getting rid of the turnpike authority — something that’s been tried unsuccessfully more than 25 times — isn’t on Briere’s list. He says the agency benefits the state and its residents. His plan calls for providing much smaller E-ZPass sticker tags instead of the current transponders; offering a Maine Turnpike app so E-ZPass users can manage accounts more easily online; letting drivers pay tolls with credit cards; and keeping tolls low or flat for Maine E-ZPass users.