Maine will receive $132.7 million in federal funding to replace some of the aging bridges in Penobscot and Kennebec counties.
The money will pay for spans to take the place of six bridges on Interstate 395 between Bangor and Brewer, and to replace six overpasses on Interstate 95 near Augusta, according to a news release.
The Maine Department of Transportation was awarded the funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program. The aim of the program is to support bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation and protection projects that reduce the number of bridges in poor condition, or in fair condition but at risk of declining.
With the two awards, Maine is receiving more than 20% of the nearly $635 million being disbursed nationwide through the BIP in the current funding round.
Out of the nearly $133 million total awarded to Maine, $63 million will go toward the I-395 Bridge Bundle Project, while close to $70 million is for the I-95 Accessibility Improvements Minimizing Heavy-Truck Impacts Project.
The 1-95 project aims to install bridges that meet modern standards, allowing for safer heavy-truck passage and reducing long-term maintenance needs on that critical route.
“These investments in our transportation system support safety, reliability and economic opportunity,” said Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation.
“This funding will make our roadways safer and more resilient by addressing bridges that are crucial to Maine’s infrastructure,” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “Upgrading these routes will ensure that vital travel corridors remain accessible for residents, businesses and commercial transport alike.”
In May, Collins wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of MaineDOT’s grant applications, saying: “These applications represent vital efforts to address infrastructure needs in our state by focusing on the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of several bridges crucial to our transportation network.”