By Tiffany Williams –
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that transportation projects previously considered for temporary delay because of funding concerns will now move forward after Governor Janet Mills committed $136 million to support the state’s transportation program.
The funding was announced last week to address an anticipated shortfall in the department’s capital program, allowing MaineDOT to continue planned transportation investments across the state.
According to the department, the additional funding enables project schedules to be reestablished after officials evaluated the potential impacts of the projected funding gap.
MaineDOT said Governor Mills and the Maine Legislature have secured approximately $1.4 billion through multiple funding mechanisms during her administration to address recurring transportation funding shortfalls.
The department said those investments have allowed continued funding for roads, bridges, ferries, transit, aviation, rail and active transportation infrastructure throughout Maine.
Despite the new funding, MaineDOT said significant long-term financial challenges remain.
The department cited inflation, rising construction costs, aging infrastructure and transportation revenues that have not kept pace with increasing expenses as ongoing pressures affecting the state’s transportation system.
According to MaineDOT, maintaining the current transportation network while making only limited program improvements will require an additional $195 million in state resources during State Fiscal Year 2029, which begins July 1, 2028. The department said it expects that funding gap to continue growing as inflation drives costs higher.
MaineDOT said it will work with Governor Mills, the incoming 133rd Maine Legislature, transportation stakeholders, local communities, industry partners and the public to develop long-term funding solutions for the state’s transportation network.
The department also announced a pedestrian safety improvement project in Kittery that is scheduled to begin August 3.
The project will replace traffic signal equipment and improve sidewalks along Route 1 at the intersections with Route 101 and the Kittery Premium Outlets and Outlets at Kittery.
During construction, individual sidewalk entrances will be temporarily closed one at a time for approximately two to three days. Pedestrian detours will be established to direct people safely to the nearest accessible crossing before or after the active work area.
The project includes new signal heads designed to enhance vehicle detection and new traffic controllers.
Construction is expected to continue through November 2026.
Dagle Electric Construction Corporation of Wilmington, Massachusetts, was awarded the contract for the project, which is valued at $986,688.99.
In a separate announcement, MaineDOT released a new 30-minute documentary titled “Connecting Blue Hill Through History: The Stevens Bridge.”
The film examines the history of the Blue Hill region through the story of the Stevens Bridge, also known locally as the Falls Bridge, and features community members, local officials, historians and cultural partners discussing the bridge’s significance.
“’Connecting Blue Hill Through History’ underscores how a single bridge can carry generations of meaning,” said Julie Senk, Historic Preservation Coordinator with MaineDOT. “By weaving together personal memories, engineering history, and cultural perspectives, this film helps us better understand the connections between people, place, and the transportation systems that serve them.”
The documentary explains that the reinforced concrete tied-arch bridge, constructed in 1926, served as both a vital transportation crossing and a community landmark for decades before changing safety standards, structural concerns and modern transportation demands led to the decision to replace it.
MaineDOT said the documentary fulfills a mitigation commitment made to the Federal Highway Administration during project planning because of the historical significance of the bridge and its surrounding environment.
The film also highlights the long-standing presence of Indigenous communities in the region and explores how transportation infrastructure intersects with cultural heritage, traditional homelands and stewardship of rivers and coastal areas.
“Projects like the Stevens Bridge remind us that transportation is about more than moving people and goods. Its about connecting communities across time,” said Andy Lathe, Project Manager at MaineDOT. “As we plan for the future, we also have a responsibility to recognize and respect the stories, values, and history tied to the places we work in.”
MaineDOT said it will continue working to incorporate cultural and historical understanding into transportation planning while engaging Tribal Nations, local communities and other stakeholders as future infrastructure projects move forward across the state.