A planned new Maine Turnpike service plaza in West Gardiner appears to be running about $2 million under budget, officials with the Maine Turnpike Authority said this morning. The savings will be allocated to other turnpike projects, according to Paul Violette, executive director of the authority.

The board of directors of the turnpike authority this morning tentatively awarded the construction contract to build the new plaza to the Portland firm of Langford & Low Inc.

That company was the apparent low bidder for the project. Its bid of nearly $7.7 million was about $2.7 million below the estimated $10.4 million cost for the construction of the new plaza.

However, the six bids for the project were just opened yesterday, so the vote by the turnpike authority’s board this morning was conditional pending review of the bids by the turnpike’s engineering consultants.

Also awarded this morning was a $400,000 contract to R.J. Grondin and Sons of Gorham for wetland mitigation work for the project.

The total cost of the project, which includes construction, wetland mitigation and other costs, is now expected to be $11.6 million instead of the $13.5 million originally estimated, turnpike officials said.

The turnpike authority has said that once the new plaza is completed next November, it will close service plazas in Lewiston and Litchfield.

The project is aimed at serving travelers on the turnpike and I-295, and got under way in August when the Maine Turnpike Authority acquired a 28-acre former truck stop by eminent domain.

Possible tenants for the plaza include Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Hershey’s Ice Cream and Z Market convenience store.