$39.5 million contract awarded for tollbooth replacement

YORK, Maine (AP) - The Maine Turnpike Authority has awarded a $39.5 million contract for the construction of a new York tollbooth plaza.

MTA officials announced Thursday Woolwich-based construction firm Reed and Reed will build the toll plaza over the next three years.

The new tollbooth will be located about 1 ½ miles north of the current plaza. It will include three high-speed E-ZPass lanes and separate lanes for cash payments.

The MTA says the current plaza was built in the 1960s, and it is sinking into clay soil.

Authority spokeswoman Erin Courtney says construction on the new plaza could begin as early as mid-November.

The MTA says the York tollbooth collects $60 million a year, and 2/3 of the revenue is paid by out-of-state drivers.