More than 80 Maine projects will receive federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
In this April 30, 2019, file photo, people gathered for a ceremony unveiling an electric vehicle charging station in the southwest parking lot of Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN

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.

Lori Valigra, investigative reporter for the environment, holds an M.S. in journalism from Boston University. She was a Knight journalism fellow at M.I.T. and has extensive international reporting experience...

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