AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation announced today that it has been awarded more than $192 million in federal discretionary grant funding this month to support significant bridge, rail, safety, and port projects across Maine. The funding comes from the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was supported by Maine's Congressional Delegation.

The awards are as follows:

• $70 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program (BIP) to help fund six significant bridge projects in Kennebec and Penobscot counties.
• $63 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program (BIP) to make major improvements on six bridges along the I-395 corridor in Bangor and Brewer.
• More than $53 million through the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to make significant freight rail upgrades in Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties.
• $5.2 million through the Federal Highway Administration's Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovating (ATTAIN) grant program to make traffic safety upgrades in Brunswick and leverage technology to send catered warning messages in areas with bridge height restrictions, with congestion, and where hazardous weather may impact travel.
• $1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support electrification efforts at four Maine ports.

"These investments in our transportation system support safety, reliability, and economic opportunity," said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. "Maine continues to do well when competing for discretionary federal grant funding. These awards, while never guaranteed, are an important element of our Work Plan. I congratulate our team members on five more successful grant applications and thank the Biden-Harris Administration and members of our Congressional delegation for their ongoing commitment to supporting critical infrastructure projects in our state."

The $70-million BIP grant will allow MaineDOT to replace six deteriorating bridges in Sidney and Waterville. The current structures do not provide enough vertical clearance for interstate traffic. Reducing the risk of bridge strikes improves safety and reliability along the backbone of Maine's transportation system. New, wider shoulders on the new bridges will benefit all users. The bridges that will be replaced are:

• The Dinsmore Road Bridge in Sidney.
• The Lyons Road Bridges in Sidney.
• The Drummond Road Bridge in Sidney.
• The Town Farm Road Bridge in Sidney.
• The Trafton Road Bridge in Waterville.

The other $63-million BIP grant will make major improvements on six bridges along the I-395 corridor in Bangor and Brewer, including the rehabilitation of the Veterans Remembrance Bridge spanning the Penobscot River. This area serves as a transportation hub for northern and eastern Maine. Investments like these are critical to supporting economic opportunity in these markets as well as those in eastern Canada. These bridges carry:

• I-395 over Main Street in Bangor (rehabilitation).
• I-395 over the Penobscot River crossing from Bangor to Brewer (rehabilitation).
• I-395 over Maine Central Railroad in Brewer (rehabilitation).
• Robertson Boulevard over I-395 in Brewer (replacement).
• Parkway South over I-395 in Brewer (replacement).
• Green Point Road over I-395 in Brewer (replacement).

The $53-million CRISI grant will allow the department, working in collaboration with private sector partners at Eastern Maine Railway and One North, to significantly enhance the operating speed, reliability, and safety conditions of more than 140 miles of existing active and dormant track. In addition to providing critical connections to national and international markets, this work will also support new, sustainable industries and the good-paying jobs they create.