Feds allocate $45M to replace or repair seven Maine bridges
Improvements to transportation infrastructure are on tap with the award of $45 million in federal funds to fix or replace seven bridges, and another $2.5 million in federal money to reinforce public transit systems.
Bridges
Maine will receive a total of $45 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program to replace or rehabilitate six bridges in rural Maine and one connecting Waterville and Winslow.
The projects that will receive funding are as follows:
• Bridging the Economy of Rural Maine Project: The Maine Department of Transportation will receive $20 million to replace five at-risk bridges in poor condition and rehabilitate another compromised bridge. The bridges are located in Litchfield/West Gardiner, Stonington, Greenbush, Southport, Milo and Bridgewater. All of the bridges are at least 80 years old, with the oldest dating to 1923. If the bridges were not replaced or repaired, it would have a "devastating" affect on rural communities, according to a news release.
• Ticonic Bridge Project: MaineDOT will receive $25 million to replace the 111-year-old Ticonic Bridge connecting Waterville and Winslow with a modern bridge featuring wider lanes, shoulders, sidewalks and bike lanes. The bridge, which spans the Kennebec River, accommodates 16,000 vehicles a day. The project will eliminate the possibility of an 8-mile detour and related congestion should the current bridge fail.
“If these bridges were allowed to continue to deteriorate, they would become subject to eventual closure, resulting in substantial detours and economic harm,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in the release. “These projects will strengthen our transportation network, helping Mainers reach their homes and jobs more quickly and supporting our economy. These structures represent vital connections necessary to support and sustain Maine’s local economies.”
In November 2019, the BUILD program awarded $44.6 million in grant money to Lubec's Safe Harbor project and the state Woolwich U.S. Route 1 bridge replacement.
In September 2019, Maine was awarded $61.06 million through the Competitive Highway Bridge Grant Program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant Program to replace eight bridges across the state, including $36 million for the Madawaska/Edmundston International Bridge Replacement Project.
This year, the Department of Transportation received 656 eligible BUILD applications requesting more than $9.18 billion in funding.
Public transit
The Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit Committee will receive $440,944 and the Maine Department of Transportation will receive $2.1 million from the Federal Transit Administration through the CARES Act.
BSOOB will use the funds for transit operating and administrative expenses for the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach regions. MaineDOT will use the funds to support transit operations in the Portland area during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Maine’s public transit systems have been hard hit during the coronavirus pandemic, as ridership and revenue have both taken huge cuts,” said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, said in a news release. “This funding through the CARES Act will help retain transportation jobs and make sure Mainers have access to reliable methods of transportation to get from home to essential services like the grocery store or work.”
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments