AUGUSTA — Republican Sen. David Woodsome, R-Waterboro, has announced local transportation projects for Senate District 33 as part of the Maine Department of Transportation’s Work Plan for the next three years.
The MDOT released its fifth-annual three-year plan with the intent of improving the state’s roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure earlier this month.
“Our role at the Maine Department of Transportation … is to plan, build, maintain and operate a state transportation system that will meet the basic transportation needs of our customers, while at the same time supporting economic prosperity and contributing to enhancing the quality of life in Maine,” David Bernhardt, commissioner of the MDOT wrote in a Jan. 3 letter attached to the work plan.
According to the MDOT, the work plan includes more than $2.3 billion worth of construction and maintenance. There are 632 capital projects scheduled to take place in 2017, at a cost of $537 million, as well as about 1,200 individual work items statewide.
Those projects include updates to highways and bridges, public transit, passenger and freight railroad and ports and other marine facilities. There are 2,411 individual work items to take place over the next three years.
Woodsome outlined how the plan will affect the communities in his district, which encompasses the communities of Cornish, Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Sanford, Shapleigh and Waterboro.
Woodsome said there will be improvements to Route 5 in Cornish and Route 160 in Limerick, in addition to safety upgrades at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport and culvert replacement on West Road in Waterboro.
“I believe that maintaining our infrastructure is one of the most important functions of state government,” Woodsome said. “I would like to thank the Department of Transportation for prioritizing these projects that are vital to our safety and our economic success in York County.”
Woodsome’s announcement comes a little over a week since Sen. Justin Chenette of Saco and Sen. Susan Deschambault of Biddeford announced MDOT’s plans for their districts, Senate Districts 31 and 32, respectively.
In Senate District 32 — which includes Alfred, Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunkport and Lyman — there are plans to repair bridges in Arundel, Lyman and Kennebunk; pave roads in Arundel, Dayon, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Lyman and Biddeford; and perform maintenance and tree removal in Lyman and Alfred.
There are also plans to make improvements to Rumery’s Boat Yard in Biddeford and expansion of Government Wharf Pier in Kennebunkport.
“Mainers depend on safe, reliable transportation infrastructure for all parts of their lives — to get to work or school, to conduct business, to travel,” Deschambault said on Jan. 10. “I’m glad to see this work planned for the coming years and I will work to ensure continued investments in this vital infrastructure.”
Chenette said in Senate District 31, which encompasses Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, Limington, and part of Buxton, the MDOT will make several road improvements in Hollis and Old Orchard Beach, and reconstruct a rail spur serving the Saco Industrial Park in Saco.
— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.
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