A northbound stretch of I-295 from Brunswick to Gardiner will be among the first projects in Maine to receive federal stimulus funding, Gov. John Baldacci is expected to announce today.
Also at the 1 p.m. news conference, the governor plans to name the company that will undertake the $35 million project, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The state released a list of 71 highway and bridge projects this week that it plans to complete with about $130 million in federal funds. In total, Maine is slated to receive about $162 million in transportation funds. Of that, another $13.2 million would fund transit projects and up to $20 million would pay for aviation-related projects, the paper reported. The state also is seeking federal competitive transportation grants for projects that include $35 million to extend the Downeaster passenger rail line from Portland to Brunswick and $60 million to replace the Veterans Bridge between Portland and South Portland. The federally funded projects are expected to support about 3,500 construction jobs.
