Kelly Flagg is executive director of Associated General Contractors of Maine.

Maine’s transportation funding emergency is no longer a future problem. It is here and has brought with it the potential for deeply damaging job losses and badly needed repairs to our roads and bridges.

The recent announcement that approximately $266 million will be cut from the current Maine Department of Transportation work plan, with projections of an additional $300 million to $400 million shortfall in the next work plan, marks one of the most significant transportation funding crises our state has faced in decades.

For Maine’s construction industry, this is not simply a budget issue. It is a jobs issue, an economic issue and a public safety issue.

For years, Associated General Contractors of Maine and a broad coalition of stakeholders have warned that the state’s transportation funding model was becoming unsustainable. Earlier this year, lawmakers considered LD 1804, a proposal that would have dedicated revenue from automobile sales and use taxes to transportation infrastructure. While the legislation ultimately failed, the underlying problem did not disappear.

In fact, the current funding crossroads we find ourselves at demonstrates exactly why a long-term funding solution is needed.

The transportation funding challenge facing Maine has become increasingly clear over the course of this year, and its full scope emerged at a point in the legislative calendar when opportunities for a comprehensive response were limited. With the Legislature nearing adjournment, there was little time to develop, vet and enact a long-term solution.

Rather than looking backward, policymakers should focus on the work ahead. The current situation underscores the need for immediate attention and sustained commitment to addressing Maine’s transportation funding needs.

Maine needs both a short-term fix to realize the necessary upcoming transportation investments and a long-term, sustainable funding source that grows alongside transportation needs.

The consequences of inaction are substantial and would be unacceptable.

Across Maine, contractors have invested millions of dollars in equipment, facilities and workforce development based on anticipated work plans. Companies are actively recruiting skilled workers in one of the tightest labor markets in generations. Through registered apprenticeship programs and partnerships with schools, unions and training providers, the industry continues to educate and train the next generation of heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, laborers, carpenters, mechanics and other skilled professionals.

When hundreds of millions of dollars in planned work disappear, hiring decisions become more difficult. Expansion plans are delayed. Apprenticeship opportunities shrink. In some cases, layoffs become unavoidable.

The impacts extend well beyond construction companies. Local suppliers, material producers, engineering firms, equipment dealers, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores and countless small businesses all depend on transportation investments that support thousands of jobs in Maine.

Meanwhile, the need for infrastructure investment continues to grow. The most recent assessments from the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the national transportation research organization TRIP paint a concerning picture of aging roads, bridges and transportation assets. Deferred maintenance does not become cheaper or disappear over time. It becomes more expensive, and the need becomes more acute.

Maine has long recognized that transportation infrastructure is the backbone of our economy. Every community, every business and every family depend on safe, reliable roads and bridges.

The current funding crisis should not be viewed as a reason to retreat from investment. It should be the catalyst that finally drives a serious conversation about how we sustainably fund the transportation system that Maine’s economy depends upon.

The cost of solving this problem is significant. The cost of ignoring it will be far greater. Let’s keep Maine moving forward.