Senator Collins Champions $65 Million for Maine’s Rural Infrastructure

Funding comes from the Competitive Highway Bridge Program, created by Senator Collins in 2018.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the State of Maine will receive $65 million for two rural infrastructure projects through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP). Created by Senator Collins and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in 2018 as leaders of the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, the CHBP funds highway bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects on public roads that serve rural communities. Maine will receive an outsized proportion-16 percent-of the $408 million awarded nationally through this program because of Senator Collins' leadership.

"Growing up in Caribou, I have always been acutely aware of the unique challenges facing our rural communities and determined to find solutions. That is why I was proud to work with my colleagues to create this program to replace aging bridges in rural communities across Maine and the nation. There is no reason Mainers should have to continue using bridges that are in poor condition and have exceeded their original design service life," said Senator Collins. "These new bridges will help improve safety, support good-paying jobs, and better connect rural Mainers to the rest of the state."

Funding secured by Senator Collins includes:

$38,712,000 - Critical Connections: Preserving Mobility for Rural Economies

This project will replace 11 state-owned bridges across rural central Maine. The project spans seven of Maine's counties: Androscoggin, Franklin, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, and Somerset. All 11 bridges that will be replaced are in poor condition, over 50 years old, and have exceeded their original design service life. The replacement bridges will be designed with a 75-year service life. The bridges that will be replaced with this funding are as follows:

Somerset County

• Main Street in Caratunk built in 1922 crossing Pleasant Pond Stream
• Kennebec River Road in Embden built in 1934 crossing Martin Stream
• Huff Road in Cornville built in 1936 crossing Wesserunsett Stream
• Pleasant Pond Road in Caratunk built in 1945 crossing Pleasant Pond Stream

Franklin County

• Mace Road in Chesterville built in 1950 crossing McGurdy Stream
• Howard Road in Salem Township built in 1974 crossing the West Branch Carrabasset River

Piscataquis County

• Silvers Mills Road in Sangerville built in 1954 crossing French Mills Brook

Penobscot County

• Fuller Road in Carmel built in 1963 crossing Harvey Brook

Hancock County

• Bald Mountain Road in Orland built in 1951 crossing Moosehorn Creek

Sagadahoc County

• Cathance Road in Topsham built in 1920 crossing the Cathance River
• Burrough Road in Bowdoin built in 1936 crossing the Little River

$26,288,000 - Interstate 95 Decks in Distress

This project will replace the bridge decks on four state-owned bridges along Interstate 95 (I-95) in Penobscot County. Two of the bridges convey I-95 Northbound (NB) and Southbound (SB) over Pushaw Stream in the City of Old Town and the other two bridges convey I-95 NB and SB over the Piscataquis River in the Town of Howland.

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Since joining the Appropriations Committee in 2009, Senator Collins has helped to secure more than $1 billion in competitive transportation grants for the State of Maine.

Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Collins has continued to be a champion for rural Maine. In December, Senator Collins announced that Maine will receive $190 million in first-year funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative that will be awarded over five years that she proposed to support rural health care systems across the country. This funding is the largest single federal investment in rural health care in more than two decades.

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