Transportation watch | A roundup of transportation news from June 30, 2008
From a projected hole in Maine’s highway budget, to a plan for a Route One bypass making progress and a 295 detour going off without a hitch, the business of getting around is getting in the news. Here’s a rundown:
Maine stands to lose nearly a third of its federal funding for highway and bridge improvements next year thanks to a deficit in the Highway Trust Fund. The state’s allotment is expected to drop from $174 million to $54 million, which would reduce the number of projects the state could fund and cut the number of construction jobs by nearly 1,900, according to Capitol News Service. State lawmakers have asked Congress to approve transferring funds from general revenues to the highway fund for the 2009 budget year as a short-term solution.
The Maine DOT has picked a preferred route for its planned Route One bypass in Wiscasset as part of its Gateway 1 project. The 4.9 mile route, which was chosen from among five possibilities, is the longest of the choices — but at $68 million, it’s also the least expensive, according to news station WCSH6. The Army Corps of Engineers must study the route for its impact on the environment and give its approval before a final decision can be made, according to The Times Record. The DOT has been studying the bypass for five years to alleviate heavy congestion in that area.
The Maine DOT’s rebuilding of an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 295 southbound from Gardiner to Topsham is going smoothly so far, according to the Associated Press. The highway has been shut down since June 16, with traffic diverted onto Route 201 or the Maine Turnpike, and traffic has been moving steadily on those detours. The section of highway will be closed for 10 weeks, while New Hampshire-based Pike Industries replaces the highway’s deteriorating concrete with blacktop.
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