WASHINGTON — State repair work on roads and bridges damaged during Tropical Storm Irene, including work on two bridges washed out on Route 27 near Sugarloaf Mountain, will get a $1 million federal boost.
The Maine congressional delegation said today that the U.S. Department of Transportation is granting the money to the Maine Department of Transportation as part of a program that reimburses states for emergency repairs needed to federal-aid roads and bridges.
In announcing the grant, the office of Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said that the damage to the bridges on Route 27 along the Carrabassett River forced motorists to take a 30-mile detour.
The office of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, noted that the Maine Department of Transportation has reported nearly 200 roads and a dozen bridges damaged or destroyed by the heavy rain and flooding during the Aug. 28 storm.
Also lauding the news of the federal grant were Reps. Mike Michaud, D-2nd, and Chellie Pingree, D-1st.
“Hurricane Irene took quite a toll on Maine roads,” Pingree said in a statement. “These funds will be a huge help in getting Maine’s infrastructure back online for our communities and businesses.”
MaineToday Media Washington Bureau Chief Jonathan Riskind can be contacted at 791-6280 or at: jriskind@mainetoday.com Twitter: Twitter.com/MaineTodayDC.
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