SACO —  Maine Turnpike Authority Executive Director Peter Mills said finding a solution to traffic congestion off the Industrial Park Road exit of the I-195 spur in Saco is a top priority.

The city of Saco partnered with the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority to launch a study last April to find possible solutions to congestion that has long been a problem on Industrial Park Road and Route 112. The study is scheduled to be completed in April.

The I-195 spur takes cars on and off the turnpike from Saco and Old Orchard Beach. Traffic to and from the Industrial Park Road exit is often backed up and congested during peak travel times on this road and on intersecting Route 112.

Tom Errico, a traffic engineer with T.Y. Lin International outline a number of proposed solutions from the study on Wednesday at a public meeting at Saco City Hall.

One proposal would extend I-195 spur to Route 112 near Blake Street. This proposal would reduce traffic on Route 112 between the turnpike and Jenkins Road about 35 percent during a.m. peak hours, 29 percent on Route 112 near Industrial Park Road during a.m. peak hours, 33 percent on Industrial Park Road during peak a.m. hours, 39 percent on Garfield Street during peak p.m. hours and 11 percent in neighborhoods east of Industrial Park Road during peak p.m. hours. The proposal would impact 10 properties and 16 buildings and cost $60 million.

Another proposal would modify the Exit 36 interchange and create an on- and off-ramp on Route 112 where the old Exit 5 used to be. This option would reduce traffic on Route 112 near Industrial Park Road 26 percent during peak afternoon hours, reduce traffic on Industrial Park Road 36 percent during morning peak hours, and reduce traffic on neighborhood streets east of Industrial Road by 8 percent. This proposal would impact four properties and cost $34 million.

Another proposal, which would cost $5 million, and likely need to be locally funded, would create a road connecting routes 5 and 12 just north of Saco Middle School. This proposal would impact one property, and would potentially reduce traffic on Garfield Street by 63 percent during a.m. peak hours and reduce traffic on neighborhood streets east of Industrial Park Road by 18 percent during peak p.m. hours.

Funding for the $34 million project, which would modify the Exit 36 interchange, is under consideration by the Maine Turnpike Authority.

“There is no perfect solution, but I think this is a very good one. I like it,” said Peter Mills, the executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority, who attended Wednesday night’s meeting.

“This is the worst interchange on the turnpike,” said Mills, of the I-195 spur. A solution to the related traffic issues is one of his top priorities, he said.

Should a project be chosen, it would probably be at least four years before construction, said Mills.

Mills urged residents to give their input on the project. For more information on the study or to submit input, go to  http://sacomaine.org/route112. The deadline for comments is March 1.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.