GRAY – Undaunted by rain and fog, more than 150 state, federal and local leaders, including Gov. John Baldacci, joined Gray to celebrate and open the Route 26 Gray bypass on Thursday.

The event marked a historic change, one that Gray leaders say they have waited for patiently over the past 40 years – to have traffic woes in downtown Gray remedied.

“It only took 40 years to get here,” said Gary Foster, chairman of the Gray Town Council. “This may improve business volume in downtown Gray. It will give us options.”

The project included $7.1 in construction costs plus engineering, environmental studies and right of way issues to total $8.1 million.

The Maine Turnpike Authority provided a $2 million match to access federal funds for Maine’s Department of Transportation, said Executive Director Paul Violette of MTA.

The project is expected to reduce Gray Village traffic by as much as 40 percent or 10,350 vehicle a day. Five major roads, Routes 26, 202, 100, 4 and 115 intersect in the town’s center.

And, truck traffic rerouted outside of the village will improve mobility, travel time and access to the Maine Turnpike for commercial traffic coming from north of the town, like modular home businesses in Oxford, Poland Spring water, construction materials firm Pike Industries, and the Jolly Farmer, which transports large quantities of mulch and bark.

Safety benefits are expected by the substantial reduction of traffic in downtown Gray.

“This has been a long haul. You have to have infinite patience,” said David Cole, commissioner of Maine’s Department of Transportation.

Cole said towns north and west will benefit from the bypass by moving high volumes of tourists, including skiers bound to Western Maine and Canadians coming into Maine. “The importance of the Route 26 corridor is to get skiers up there safely.

Jim Costello, vice president of Sunday River Ski Resort said, “Accessibility is the key issue to getting skiers to Western Maine. The more accessible we can be as a tourist destination, the more successful we will be.”

Costello said a half million skiers and snowboarders make the journey annually to Maine ski resorts boosting Maine’s economy and making it more competitive.

Cole said the final plan was selected from 27 possible sites identified by the public.

Construction leaders of Shaw Brothers Construction and Cianbro were feted for finishing the project in eight months – seven months ahead of schedule.