Transportation Advocates Urge Continued Investment in Transportation Infrastructure
April 3, 2024, Augusta, Maine – Elected officials passed landmark legislation in the first session of the Maine Legislature that established sustainable funding for roads and bridges. The multi-decade effort to secure this funding was a major victory for Maine. The additional funding provides certainty for the planning, engineering, and construction of our infrastructure making sure traveling in our state is safe and reliable. Maine residents will notice accelerated improvements to transportation infrastructure as a result. Transportation advocates remain optimistic, but caution funding must remain intact to deliver on promises to Maine residents.
State of Maine transportation officials released a three-year work plan in January that included some of the 309 bridges rated as structurally deficient. MaineDOT’s work plan will be assisted by the transportation funding passed in the first session of the 131st Legislature. The generational funding gap was identified in the 2020 Blue Ribbon Commission as $232 million annually.
“After decades of debate, studies, and controversies we were grateful for the bi-partisan agreement that is so important to make our roads and bridges safer and better for the traveling public. “Now, we must ensure that historic funding continues, and start looking at how we will tackle the decades of backlog,” said Maria Fuentes, Executive Director of Maine Better Transportation Association (MBTA).
Maine’s highway system includes ~3,754 bridges, with about 80% managed by MaineDOT. A total of 14% of Maine’s bridges are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition, meaning there is significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge. 59% of the state’s bridges are at least 50 years old, an age when many bridges require significant rehabilitation or replacement.
The Department’s current 3-year work plan includes a continued emphasis on bridge maintenance and preservation projects. In a 2020 report, The Maine Chapter of the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) used public data to analyze the current condition of Maine’s infrastructure. In the 2020 report, Maine Roads received a grade of C-.
Senator Brad Farrin, who serves on the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, has strongly advocated for ensuring Maine addresses the funding shortfall. He celebrated the investment but warned more must be done to ensure funding remains intact, “Maine residents expect us to maintain our roads and bridges, and when we had the opportunity to fund the DOT program it was essential to get it done. There’s simply no good reason we should pass our infrastructure debt to another generation. It was an honor to collaborate with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and deliver results.”
Brian Parke, President and CEO of the Maine Motor Transport Association, represents the trucking industry and knows our bridges are vital to moving goods throughout the state, “We appreciate the Legislature committing resources to tackle the funding shortfall. 84% of Maine communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods, so protecting this sustainable funding is a priority.”
MBTA launched an education website, fixitnowmaine.org, providing information on transportation infrastructure, and funding, to connect residents with current resources. “We know MaineDOT prioritizes bridges that need attention following federal guidelines on inspections and safety. It is critical that funding levels are maintained or their ability to address their needs is extremely limited. Our goal with this campaign is to protect the current investment, share resources with the public, and continue working on additional funds improving transportation infrastructure in Maine,” said Fuentes.