The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) announced it will advance transportation projects that were considered for temporary delay due to funding concerns earlier following Gov. Janet Mills' commitment of $136 million to support Maine's transportation program.

Gov. Mills announced $136 million in funding to address an anticipated shortfall in MaineDOT's capital program, ensuring the Department can continue delivering critical transportation investments across the state. During her administration, Mills and the Legislature have secured approximately $1.4 billion through a variety of funding mechanisms to address recurring transportation funding shortfalls, helping MaineDOT continue investing in safer roads, bridges, ferries, transit, aviation, rail and active transportation infrastructure that the people of Maine rely upon every day, according to MaineDOT.

As a result of this new funding, MaineDOT will begin advancing the transportation projects that were considered for temporary delay while the Department evaluated the impacts of the projected funding gap.

While this funding addresses the Department's immediate needs, it does not resolve the long-term structural challenges facing Maine's transportation program. Inflation, increasing construction costs, aging infrastructure and transportation revenues that have not kept pace with those costs continue to create significant funding pressures, according to MaineDOT. The $1.4 billion added to the highway fund over the past eight years demonstrates the scale of Maine's transportation funding needs and the lack of a sustainable, long-term funding solution, added the Department.

Even to preserve current conditions and make only limited programmatic improvements, MaineDOT estimates an additional $195 million in state resources are needed in State Fiscal Year 2029 (beginning July 1, 2028) with that funding gap expected to continue growing as inflation drives costs higher, according to MaineDOT.