Transportation Committee

The Maine Department of Transportation  - 3-year Work Plan - Total Expenditures $1.8 billion

For complete listings of all town projects visit:   www.mainedot.gov

Biddeford and Biddeford/Saco line:

• Fencing construction at the Biddeford Municipal Airport - $288,400
  
  
• Pedestrian Bridge (shared with Saco) - Located at Factory Island  - $426,000
  
  
• Highway resurfacing -  On Route 111 east bound. - $783,855
  
  
• Bus Shelters - Purchase and installation of two bus shelters. - $100,000
  
  
• Highway reconstruction - Route 1 to Railroad Avenue. - $1,250,000
  
  
• Safety improvements - Ten traffic signals . - $1,211,251
  
  
• Bridge rehabilitation - Elm Street Bridge over the Saco River.  - $200,000
  
  
• Highway resurfacing – Other roads. - $1,986,762
  
  
• Bus replacement – shuttle bus replacement vehicle. - $200,000
  
  
• Bridge replacement -  Bridge over Saco river at Pine St. - $4,300,000
  

Dayton/Buxton

• Intersection improvement at Route 35 and Route 5. - $775,000
  
  

• Bridge replacement - Bar Mills Bridge over the Saco River.. - $8,300,000
  
  

Old Orchard Beach

• Intersection improvements with signal - Located at the intersection of Saco Avenue, Emerson Cummings Boulevard and Union Avenue. - $585,000
  
  

Saco

• Highway resurfacing - Off Interstate 95 Ramp and extending easterly 3.03 miles. - $1,820,000
  
  
• Guardrail - Install median cable and W-beam. - $340,000
  
  
• Municipal Pier -  Camp Ellis fendering, cargo handling aprons, ladders, and gangways. - $115,000
  
  
• Highway resurfacing - Ferry Road to Timber Oakes Lane. - $225,250
  
  
• Highway resurfacing - Bradley Street to Lincoln Street. - $137,760
  
  
• Highway resurfacing - OOB/Saco town line- extending northwest 0.65 of a mile. - $532,028
  
  
• Highway resurfacing -  New County Road to Bartletts Bridge Road in Lyman. - $1,333,040
  

Transportation Bonds

As a new member to the Transportation Committee,  I aggressively delved into the issue of bonds. When testifying before the committee, MDOT repeatedly told us that the governor not issuing the bonds approved by the voters in 2011 would not affect jobs and the economy, since MDOT works on a 3-year plan and those projects have already been funded and scheduled for completion.  

I asked for a complete list of bonds authorized by the voters in past years and was provided with lists of bonds from 2003, 2007, and 2009. It showed that some bonds were never issued for projects and some bonds were issued and the projects still have not been completed.

There were multiple bonds submitted by Legislators and the Governor this session. In September, the full legislature will be meeting to discuss and/or vote on sending any bonds to the voters.  In the meantime, I have requested that the Transportation Committee meet jointly with the Appropriations Committee to have the MDOT and the State auditor give us a comprehensive update on the status of all bonds previously authorized that have not been spent or issued.