The U.S. Department of Transportation recently
awarded $7.89 million to the Maine Department of Transportation, which will be used for the Maine Railroad Bridge Capacity project.
The project will update or repair 22 railroad bridges in the 151-mile Madawaska Subdivision of the Maine Northern Railway. Once completed, the rails will have a weight capacity of 286,000 pounds for rail cars.
The funding was provided through the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) program. The program was created in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
“This major rail link is used daily by manufacturers and customers across our state, and these improvements will significantly increase capacity and efficiency throughout the corridor,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said. “As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the Department of Transportation, I worked to ensure that the FASTLANE program was fully funded so it could provide the critically needed resources for transportation projects in Maine and across our country. This funding for the Maine Railroad Bridge Capacity project will help create jobs, improve competitiveness and efficiency, and provide an economic boost for the state of Maine.”
The application for the project was submitted in December with Collins’ support.