Maine's infrastructure has improved, but still needs work, report says
File Photo / Courtesy Maine Department of Transportation
In 2022, construction crews in Portland worked round-the-clock over a weekend to replace an Interstate 295 bridge that’s one of the busiest stretches of road in the state
In 2022, construction crews in Portland worked round-the-clock over a weekend to pull off a feat that could have taken years — replacing an Interstate 295 bridge that’s one of the busiest stretches of road in the state.
The feat might have helped raise Maine’s “infrastructure report card” one step to an overall C grade. But bridges were one of three categories that saw grade decrease compared to a 2020 report card.
Grades across 16 categories ranged from B for aviation to D-plus for bridges, dams, levees and transit, in the “2024 Report Card for Maine’s Infrastructure” released by the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
A C grade means Maine’s infrastructure is in fair condition and will require attention to ensure it remains reliable in the future, according to a news release.
The grade is a step up from the 2020 report and is one step higher than the national average on the 2021 national report card.
Improving grades
Maine earned better grades in six of the 16 categories, compared to 2020: hazardous waste, rail, roads, schools, stormwater and solid waste.
But grades declined in three other categories: bridges, energy and levees.
“The improving grades are the results of increased investment and efforts to build more resilient infrastructure,” said Nate Strout, president of ASCE’s Maine section. “Now is the time to build on that progress by ensuring infrastructure funding remains a priority at all levels to ensure Maine has reliable infrastructure systems to power our state’s economy and improve everyone’s quality of life.”
Road investment
Roads saw a two-step grade increase from a D to a C-minus. The increase reflects investment made over the past decade, when the state has seen substantial improvements in pavement conditions, with 74% of state highways in good or excellent condition compared to 60% in 2012.
Maine has invested substantially in projects to improve roads and bridges across the state. The Maine Department of Transportation’s 2024-26 work plan includes $4.74 billion in projects, an 83% increase over the 2020-22 work plan.
Much of the increased funding is thanks to state lawmakers creating new reliable funding sources for transportation projects to make up for the reduced purchasing power of the state’s fuel tax, which has remained unchanged since 2011, and loses purchasing power due to more fuel-efficient vehicles and rising construction and labor costs.
One-time funding sources like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are also helping fund improvements to roads.
Bridges need work
Maine’s bridges saw a one-step decrease to a D-plus, compared to a C-minus in 2020. According to the report, one out of every seven bridges is in poor condition, and more than half of the bridges in the state are more than 50 years old, which is the designed service life for most bridges.
“Between 2010 and 2020, Maine made substantial progress in reducing the number of bridges in poor condition,” the report says. “However, many aging bridges in the state have gone from fair to poor condition in recent years, which has reversed that progress.”
In addition, recent severe weather events and storms have damaged parts of the state’s transportation infrastructure, which has put an increased focus on designing and building more resilient infrastructure to withstand the increase in extreme conditions.
While increased funding for transportation from state and federal sources has the potential to improve the conditions of bridges across the state, those projects are in the design and construction process and are not reflected in current condition data.
Projects on the planning board include $132.7 million in federal funding recently awarded, to the Maine Department of Transportation from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program, to replace some of the aging bridges in Penobscot and Kennebec counties, including the replacement of six overpasses on Interstate 95 near Augusta.
The PFAS problem
Maine’s drinking water grade remained stable at a C-minus.
But aging infrastructure and new regulations on the levels of “forever chemicals” — toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — in water will put pressure on utility systems that rely heavily on user fees and have limited budgets to upgrade their facilities, the report says.
“Water systems in Maine are not meeting their goal to replace one percent of water service lines each year, which adds anywhere from 10 to 50 years to the typical 100-year replacement cycle,” the report says. “Maine has approximately $60 million in annual drinking water needs for the next 20 years, with an estimated annual shortfall of $27 million. Those funding numbers are expected to increase as water systems comply with new federal regulations, which will limit the levels of PFAs in drinking water.”
Wastewater, stormwater
Wastewater (C-minus) and stormwater (C) systems in Maine both saw a one-step grade increase, as increased funding helps make much-needed improvements.
Improvements in the pipeline over the past year include a $40.6 million state-of-the-art membrane bio-reactor wastewater treatment facility that broke ground last year in Windham as the first project with an innovative technology, called drip dispersal, of its scale in Maine. This year, the town of Camden completed a $15 million project to improve its wastewater treatment facility and the city of Saco broke ground on an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.
But the report says there are still potential problems ahead, including many wastewater and stormwater systems nearing the age of their projected lifespans, which will require extensive improvements to ensure they remain reliable and resilient for the future.
Energy two-step drop
Maine’s energy grade dropped two steps to a C-minus.
The state’s energy systems need approximately $2 billion in work to meet current needs.
“Like most states, Maine is dealing with increasing energy demand caused by more heat pumps used to heat homes and businesses and electric vehicle charging,” the report says. “While new renewable energy sources are coming online, demand is growing faster than the development of new plants.”
Heat pumps are gaining traction in Maine. A 2019 state goal to install 100,000 units in homes, businesses and public buildings —by 2025 was exceeded two years early and the state set a new target is 175,000 more heat pumps by 2027.
But power plants built during the 1970s and 1980s are reaching the end of their service life and will need to be replaced.
“As Maine builds an energy grid for the future, resilience and reliability must be a top priority because Maine is third in the nation in terms of both the frequency and duration of power outages,” the report says.
Recommendations
The report includes five recommendations to raise the grade.
- Prioritize funding for statewide dam and levee needs, PFAS remediation and reducing traffic fatalities. There are significant hazards posed by dam or levee failures, including risks to public safety, property, infrastructure and the environment. Increasing investment will be required to address PFAS contamination in the environment, including soil and groundwater assessments and remediation measures.
- Investing in the state’s highway strategic safety plan.
- Implement climate resilience. In recent years, the increasing frequency of severe storms has significantly impacted Maine's infrastructure. Projects should consider climate impacts in their decision-making process regarding infrastructure investments.
- Create sustainable funding sources. A continued reliance on federal grants, non-indexed user fees and one-time increases in funding is not sustainable. While transportation has historically benefitted from the fuel tax and state bonding, its purchasing power has diminished over the years. To address rising construction costs and accommodate the shift to electric vehicles, new funding sources are needed to replace the declining fuel tax and user fees.
- User fees should reflect the true costs of using, maintaining and improving infrastructure. An educational initiative is needed to inform the public about fee changes and assist smaller or resource-constrained utilities in financing options and outreach strategies.
- Invest in innovation and new technologies.
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