Bill includes $4M to rehabilitate stressed bridge

A highway and bridge bill that cleared a major hurdle in Congress includes $4 million to rehabilitate the Waldo-Hancock Bridge as well as money for several other projects in Maine, the state’s two senators said.

Weakened cables on the bridge connecting Prospect and Verona Island forced the state to detour larger trucks this summer. The state hopes to build a replacement bridge by July 2005, but the existing span must be strengthened in the meantime.

The state Transportation Department says it needs $57 million to $87 million to strengthen the bridge, build its replacement and tear down or rehabilitate the existing one. The state has set aside $25 million for the work, and $4 million more could be approved in a bond issue this fall.

The transportation bill that was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee now goes before the full Senate, Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said.

Approval by the appropriations panel sets the stage for final passage in late September or early October, said Snowe spokeswoman Elizabeth Wenk.

“It’s highly unlikely they would stop any of our projects,” Wenk said.

The bill also includes $3.5 million for future engineering and construction costs of the Aroostook County North-South Highway, and $1.5 million to replace the Gov. Kenneth M. Curtis ferry that links Vinalhaven island and Rockland.

Also included in the federal bill is $1 million for the Portland Harbor Ocean Gateway project, which would connect marine passenger services with rail, bus and other modes of transportation, $500,000 for the Portland Bayside Parking Garage, and numerous other Maine projects.

The Downeaster passenger train also could benefit from part of $1.35 billion to keep Amtrak operations going.

Some of the projects in the Senate appropriations bill also are listed for funding under a $63.5 million transportation bond issue going before Maine voters Nov. 4.

Authorization of the bonds would make the state eligible for $217 million in matching federal funds.

The state borrowing proposal includes an additional $4 million for the Waldo-Hancock Bridge among other highway, bridge, port, train and other transportation projects.