Maine has received $61 million in federal funding to help repair and replace several of the state's aging bridges.
Federal and state officials, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, made the announcement in Yarmouth on Wednesday. Maine Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note says that maintaining the state’s highway infrastructure is critical to key industries in the state, including agriculture and forest products.
“On another level, when combined with all the other funding projects that form our Maine DOT workplan, they support a transportation system that supports what we do and who we are. And is a key part of what makes Maine such a special place.”
The $61 million will fund replacement of bridges along I-295, as well as a number of projects in rural Franklin County. A 2016 report found that many of Maine's bridges were in need of repair, with more than half at least 50 years old.
