TRENTON, Maine — A $27.7 million regional transportation hub and visitor information center for all of Maine is framed up and getting closer to reality after decades of planning and funding.
The Acadia Gateway Center on Route 3’s west side is well into its second phase and meant to be completed in 2025. The first phase, which created a park and ride lot, office space, and the Downeast Transportation maintenance facility, was completed in 2012.
For this newer phase, the Maine Department of Transportation awarded Nickerson & O’Day of Brewer the contract. Construction started in early May. The project is scheduled to be finished by May 2025.
During its budget workshop last Thursday, the Bar Harbor Town Council briefly mentioned the Acadia Gateway Center, which will also house state tourism information. One councilor wondered if it would end up bringing more visitation to Acadia and the region rather than help with traffic congestion in the park and Mount Desert Island. That discussion quickly dead-ended and went back to the town’s budget.
The plan is part of the park’s 2019 Final Transportation Plan.
Friends of Acadia describes the center “as a location where visitors can access park information, purchase park entrance passes and leave their cars while riding the Island Explorer to the park and surrounding towns. The site also includes a year-round park-and-ride facility, as well as the maintenance center and offices for Downeast Transportation, the operator of the Island Explorer.”
The nonprofit first purchased the land in 2007 and contributed financially to create Downeast Transportation’s maintenance hub. It sold the land to the Maine Department of Transportation. It also contributed $1 million to construct the hub and visitor center.
According to Friends of Acadia, “The center will also incorporate several sustainability features, including a geothermal heating and cooling system, a rooftop solar panel array, and electric vehicle charging stations.”
There are almost 4 million annual visits to Acadia. Acadia was the fifth-most visited national park in 2022.
Friends of Acadia said last year, “With its small footprint, particularly compared to National Parks with similar visitation numbers, traffic and parking in and around the park are a challenge.”
“National Parks are a popular destination for travelers, and as one of the most visited, Acadia is a major draw for travel to Maine,” said Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism. “The new transportation hub in Trenton will improve the visitor experience with expanded park access and information about regional and statewide attractions.”
At the new center, visitors can plan trips and hop on the Island Explorer, which many hope will help alleviate traffic congestion in the park and throughout Mount Desert Island. Since it began in 1999, the Island Explorer has served 8 million.
In the meantime, Acadia National Park’s Hulls Cove Visitor Center may be renamed the George Mitchell Visitor Center. That federal bill is pending. The site in Trenton positions the center between Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island.
“The town of Trenton is pleased to see the completion of this project,” Fred Ehrlenbach, first selectman for Trenton, said earlier this year. “The permitting of the Acadia Gateway Center and the Downeast Transportation facility is the result of collaboration between Maine DOT and the town. Hopefully, the visitors and locals alike will take advantage of this free transportation service.”
According to Friends of Acadia, “other partners include the National Park Service, U.S. and Maine Departments of Transportation, Maine Office of Tourism, Maine Tourism Association, Efficiency Maine, and more.”
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here.
