SPI Insights

Maine – The state’s department of transportation (MaineDOT) released a three-year work plan on January 14 that consists of more than $1.6 billion in highway, bridge, and multimodal capital projects. Overall, the work plan contains 2,051 individual items with an estimated value of $2.59 billion.

Capital-related work includes bridge replacements, highway construction and paving, acquisition of buses and ferries, sidewalk construction, and major improvements to airports. Most capital projects in this work plan have undergone or are currently undergoing engineering and will be constructed by private contractors selected through a competitive bidding process.

Replacement of the almost 100-year-old Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge is the largest project in the work plan at $84 million. The project is set to be advertised in the fourth quarter of 2020. Construction may not begin until 2021 depending on contract, award, and mobilization timing.

The work plan also provides $96.7 million for aviation capital needs statewide. Projects include runway and taxiway reconstruction, safety improvements and devices, and other enhancements to improve airport access and support economic development.

More than $72 million in transit capital needs are funded in the work plan to provide support to Maine’s 22 regional and local transit providers.

The plan sets aside about $35.3 million for the Maine State Ferry Service and Casco Bay Island Transit District capital projects and $24.2 million in funding for marine-freight investments and other improvements to public marine facilities.