Maine is set to receive about $1 billion with more than 80 specific projects identified for funding under the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Here’s the breakdown of funding announced to date as part of the $2 billion the state is expected to get under the bipartisan measure passed by Congress last year.
$711 million for roads, bridges and roadway safety projects: That includes $494 million for highways and $90 million for bridges this year and next. That includes $77 million for the Presque Isle corridor project, which includes completing the second phase of a commercial two-lane bypass of Route 1.
$100 million for high-speed internet across the state: So far, about 59,000 households in Maine out of 221,000 eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program are enrolled. That cuts internet bills by up to $30 per month or $75 on tribal lands, and has a one-time $100 discount off of a connected device.
$69.5 million to provide clean and safe water and improve water infrastructure: Almost all of the total, available this fiscal year, is through the Environmental Protection Agency, with $28.4 million of that dedicated to lead pipe and service line replacement and $18 million for safe drinking water investments.
$47.6 million for public transit infrastructure improvements this fiscal year, with $251 million over five years: Nonwhite households are twice more likely to commute using public transportation. Some 28 percent of transit vehicles in Maine are past their useful life.
$37.6 million for clean energy, efficiency and power this year: Of that, $31.2 million is for weatherization, $3.7 million is through the state energy program and $2.7 million is to prevent outages and make the power grid more resilient.
$29 million for airports in 2022 to replace or modernize infrastructure. That includes $14 million for the Bangor International Airport terminal expansion.
$20 million to repair or reimagine ports and waterways infrastructure.
$20 million to clean up Superfund and brownfield sites.
$15 million for infrastructure resilience projects in 2022 to handle the effects of climate change and extreme weather: Maine experienced three extreme storms in the past decade costing the state up to $100 million in damages. The Sabattus River Restoration project will get $350,000 to reduce the impact of flooding.
$13.3 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Bus Program: The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District was awarded more than $4 million in rebates to replace existing school buses with electric ones.
$7 million this year and next to build a network of electric vehicle chargers across the state, with $19 million in funding over five years.
