MaineDOT’s Three-Year Work Plan
2024 Edition
Overview
This Work Plan describes all work planned by MaineDOT and its transportation partners for calendar years 2024, 2025, and 2026. It includes 2,672 individual work items with a total value of $4.74 billion.
This Work Plan includes all capital projects and programs, maintenance and operations activities, planning initiatives, and administrative functions for three calendar years. It consists principally of work to be delivered or coordinated through MaineDOT. It also includes funds to be expended by other transportation partners, including airports and transit agencies, that receive federal funds directly.
This story map provides a high-level overview of our work areas and goals. We invite you to check out what we have planned for your area and for the entire state in the years to come.
Work Plan Resources
A Big Job
Transportation will always be a big job in Maine. Our state is large, yet our population is small. We are the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River. Our natural features and weather – while varied and beautiful – present challenges from an infrastructure perspective. Maine has a vast, multimodal transportation system. Simply put, we have more transportation infrastructure per capita than most other states do.
Funding
For decades, transportation needs in Maine far outpaced available resources. In response, MaineDOT became proficient operating in “MacGyver mode” – holding things together in an improvised or inventive way and making use of whatever resources were at hand. While such dollar-stretching ingenuity will always be part of managing a transportation system like ours, it can’t be the only approach if we want to move forward. In recent years, lawmakers at both the federal and state levels have stepped up, worked in a bipartisan fashion, and delivered for transportation. This allows MaineDOT to continue a pivot from making do to making real progress. Thanks to increased infrastructure funding, this Work Plan includes more bridge projects, more durable highway projects, more village and downtown projects, more transit and active transportation investments, more port improvements, and more adaptation to climate impacts. The availability of discretionary federal funding through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been a game-changer for transportation funding in Maine. This Work Plan contains more than $1 billion in funding from U.S. Department of Transportation competitive grant programs and Congressionally Directed Spending awards. Many of the major projects planned for the years ahead involve these special funding sources. Several of these projects are listed below.
In 2023, the U.S. DOT awarded discretionary grants for these projects, which are included in the following map.
Route 1 reconstruction between Frenchville and Fort Kent
$37.8-million Rural Surface Transportation (Rural) Grant.
North Windham safety and mobility (Village Partnership Initiative)
$31.25-million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant.
Upgrades to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad between Lewison and Bethel
$19.5-million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant.
Improvements to Portland’s International Marine Terminal
$17.8-million Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Grant.
Improving culverts and fish passage in Downeast Maine
$11.9-million Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (Culvert AOP) Grant.
Improving culverts and fish passage in the Sandy River Watershed
$11.5-million Culvert AOP Grant
Improving culverts and fish passage in Central Maine
$11.3-million Culvert AOP Grant.
Rehabilitation work on the City of Bangor’s Community Connector bus storage facility, including work to help prepare the facility for the future installation of electric vehicle charging equipment
$7.8-million Federal Transit Administration Low or No Emission Vehicle Program Grant.
Improvements to the Lincolnville Ferry Terminal
$8.9-million Ferry Service for Rural Communities (Rural Ferry) Grant
Improvements to the Eastern Trail between North Berwick and Kennebunk
$5-million RAISE Grant.
This map lists infrastructure that will be affected by Congressional Directed Spending awards and anticipated awards for the 2024 federal fiscal year.
The Llewellyn Estes (Stillwater Avenue) Bridges in Old Town
$33.5 million
Route 27 from Augusta to Wiscasset
$18 million
Route 27 from Belgrade to New Sharon
$18 million
Route 27 from Farmington to Eustis
$16 million
Route 1 from Harrington to Milbridge
$16 million
Route 161 from Cross Lake to New Canada
$13 million
Route 11/157 from Medway to Millinocket
$11.3 million
Route 161 in Fort Kent
$10 million
The St. George River Bridge in Union
$10 million
Route 109 in Acton
$7.5 million
Route 22 in Buxton
$4.4 million
Route 1 in Bath
$3.5 million
Pedestrian improvements in Orono
$3 million
Work force transportation in Bath
$1.3 million
Planning
Last year, MaineDOT published an award-winning set of transportation planning documents that lays out the department’s vision for Maine’s transportation system, presents recommendations for how to achieve the vision, and sets the path to implementing them.
This Family of Plans is centered around the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a high-level plan for addressing the needs of Maine’s multimodal transportation system over the next 20+ years. The LRTP looks at the system. Other plans provide more specific guidance focused on a single mode: active transportation, aviation, rail, and transit.
You can find more detail on these planning documents by visiting the story map linked below.
Partnerships
Launched in 2022, MaineDOT’s Village Partnership Initiative focuses on projects in lower-speed areas where people meet, walk, shop, and do business on a human scale. Maine's iconic New England villages are part of who we are, part of our brand, and a key part of our economy and quality of life. Simply put, the goal of the Village Partnership Initiative is to make sure that once you get there, the there is a place you want to be. In this way, these projects can be bigger than transportation; they can become placemaking.
Village Partnership Initiative projects are already underway in both Sanford and Windham. Each of these projects has secured discretionary federal funding in the form of Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grants.
MaineDOT's Bureau of Planning is actively engaged with dozens of other municipalities to explore similar investments.
The following map highlights both Planning Partnership Initiative and Village Partnership Initiative projects included in this Work Plan.
Bangor
Identifying potential active transportation and mobility improvements centered around West Market Square on both sides of Kenduskeag Stream and extending along Main Street and several side streets.
Belfast
Assessing existing infrastructure and identifying recommendations to accommodate current and projected future needs for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure both in town and outside the Route 1 Bypass.
Bowdoinham
Evaluating options to improve village connectivity along Route 24 and Main Street, encompassing the proposed Lower Road rail trail and two waterfront parks.
Brewer
Identifying potential active transportation and mobility improvements for all users in the area along Route 1A, Route 9, State Street, and Center Street.
Brunswick
Providing funding to support the replacement and upgrade of Maine Street sidewalks and improvements to Maine Street traffic calming and crossing infrastructure.
Bucksport
Studying ways to improve safety for all users and to improve multimodal connections to businesses along Main Street/Route 15.
Caribou
Identifying potential active transportation and mobility improvements in downtown Caribou, focused on the area around the downtown mall and the neighborhoods adjacent to Main Street just south of the Caribou Stream.
Dover-Foxcroft
Evaluating potential active transportation, accessibility, and mobility improvements centered on the intersection of Routes 6, 7, and 15 and extending outwards.
Eastern Trail (Kennebunk, North Berwick, South Berwick, and Wells)
Identifying options to complete gaps in the existing Eastern Trail between North and South Berwick, Kittery, and the New Hampshire border in Portsmouth.
Fort Kent
Evaluating active transportation, accessibility, and mobility improvements in downtown Fort Kent, principally along Routes 1, 161, and 11.
Hampden
Developing a study to evaluate potential active transportation, accessibility, and mobility improvements for all users in central Hampden along Western Avenue and Main Road N, as well as assessing the potential for a trail network to connect schools and public facilities with residential areas.
Kittery
Completing a Route 1 corridor study that will better align Route 1 with desired redevelopments and identify short-term safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Madawaska
Evaluating active transportation, accessibility, and mobility improvement opportunities along Route 1/Main Street.
Monmouth
Determining options to improve safety and connectivity, including sidewalk improvements, for all users along almost one mile of Main Street/Route 132 in Monmouth’s village center.
Monson
Studying safety and connectivity options for all transportation system users, focusing on active transportation improvements, and encouraging economic opportunity in Monson’s village main street.
Newcastle
Assessing options to improve the highway system in Newcastle to better serve all users, focused on improvements to Routes 1B and 215 in downtown Newcastle.
Norway
Identifying potential active transportation, safety, and mobility improvements in downtown Norway along Main Street/Route 117.
Old Orchard Beach
Identifying ways to improve safety and accessibility for all transportation modes while improving a community gateway as I-195 transitions into Ocean Park Road.
Old Town
Evaluating options for improved active transportation, accessibility, and mobility along Routes 2, 2A, and 43.
Orono
Identifying potential multimodal safety, mobility, and placemaking improvements in the village area centered along Route 2 from Main Street to Park Street.
Pittsfield
Assessing active transportation safety improvements and placemaking elements along Route 11/Main Street.
Presque Isle
Identifying potential multimodal safety and connectivity improvements in downtown Presque Isle, focused along the Main Street/Route 1 corridor, as well as the potential for expanded active transportation facilities along the riverfront. This study also looks at addressing the unique needs of Amish communities, better connecting University of Maine at Presque Isle students to the city, and providing better active transportation connections to Mi’kmaq Nation housing units located near Northern Maine Community College.
Rockport
Developing a plan for improved multimodal mobility and parking in downtown Rockport, including the Pascal Avenue Bridge, as well as a sidewalk connection to local schools.
Saco
Evaluating safety and accessibility along Route 1, Ocean Park Road, and I-195.
Skowhegan
Identifying potential active transportation, safety, mobility, and parking improvements in downtown Skowhegan.
Van Buren
Evaluating active transportation, accessibility, and mobility improvements in Van Buren’s village, focused along Route 1/Main Street and connecting to the Van Buren Seaplane Base.
Wells
Identifying opportunities to improve safety and accessibility along Route 1/Post Road while complementing economic development opportunities in the community.
Woodstock
Evaluating potential active transportation connections between public buildings along Route 26/Main Street.
Highways & Bridges
Maine has approximately 8,800 miles of state-jurisdiction highways and a little bit more than 2,800 state-jurisdiction bridges and minor spans. This network is the largest and most heavily used component of Maine’s transportation system; it represents nearly 40 percent of all road miles in Maine but carries almost 90 percent of the total vehicle-miles traveled in our state.
This Work Plan invests more than $3 billion in these highways and bridges. Most of that amount is for capital investments. Those investments include:
- 267 bridge projects – $846.2 million.
- 285 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation – $684 million.
- 268 highway safety and spot improvements – $207 million.
- 1,348 miles of preservation paving – $678 million.
- 2,052 miles of Light Capital Paving (LCP) – $116 million.
The ongoing maintenance of Maine’s highway and bridge system is essential to the movement of people and goods and to the health of our state’s economy. Actual expenditures for this work vary from year to year depending on the constantly changing condition of the transportation system and, importantly, the weather. Highway and bridge maintenance and operations work accounts for $618 million in this Work Plan. Three-year annual averages for major maintenance and operations work include:
- Winter maintenance - $50.9 million.
- Drainage maintenance - $25.1 million.
- Custodial maintenance - $18.5 million.
- Bridge and other infrastructure inspections - $14.8 million.
- Surface and base maintenance - $13.7 million.
- Bridge and structural maintenance - $11.1 million.
Carbon Reduction
MaineDOT’s Carbon Reduction Strategy (CRS) serves as a guide for MaineDOT to reduce carbon emissions from our state’s transportation system. The CRS aligns with existing statewide climate initiatives: the “Maine Won’t Wait” climate action plan and the state’s Clean Transportation Roadmap. The CRS also supports the visions and goals laid out in MaineDOT’s Family of Plans.
MaineDOT aims to lead by example by supporting data-driven and practical actions to both reduce emissions in the transportation sector and increase the resiliency of infrastructure across the state. Here are some highlights of our work:
- MaineDOT is working with Efficiency Maine Trust (EMT) to expand EV charging infrastructure across the state. Between 2018 and 2023, MaineDOT and EMT administered more than $7 million in funds to install more than 32 Level 3 fast-charger ports and more than 230 Level 2 charger ports across the state. An additional 59 Level 3 fast-charger ports and more than 150 Level 2 charger ports have also been awarded and are awaiting installation.
- MaineDOT continues to seek funding to expand the EV charging network. Current fundings sources include $8 million from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, $18 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, and $15 million from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant.
- We have prepared a Plan for EV Infrastructure Deployment (PEVID) describing how the NEVI funds will be used to expand the EV charging network across the state. Our goal is to provide Level 3 chargers within at least 50 miles on state-owned roads.
- The department installed solar arrays on I-95 at Exits 109 and 112 in Augusta and is in the process of installing them at the state-owned property at the Augusta Airport. These arrays will provide enough renewable energy to power the nearby state office complexes and save state taxpayers millions of dollars over the next two decades.
- MaineDOT’s first hybrid-assist ferry is scheduled for delivery in 2024. Another hybrid ferry is currently in the design phase. The department is committed to considering hybrid ferry options for all future ferry replacements
- MaineDOT is in the process of administering the second round of grants through the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund. The program funds projects that adapt critical infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to climate change resulting from extreme weather, sea level rise, inland and coastal flooding, and other climate impacts. The first round provided $20 million in funds to 12 communities around the state; this second round will provide $1.5 million in funds.
- Our team is in the process of administering the Municipal Stream Crossing Grant program. The program will provide $4 million in grants to help fund the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings with the goal of improving fish and wildlife habitat and community safety.
Active Transportation
Active transportation (walking, bicycling, or other mobility based around human physical activity) accounts for the second most widely used form of transportation in Maine (behind motor vehicles). This Work Plan includes $68 million in stand-alone investments for active transportation. This is in addition to other projects funded as part of larger highway and bridge projects that also integrate active transportation improvements. These investments help reduce carbon emissions by offering alternatives to driving. The stand-alone projects in this Work Plan include:
- Improvements to 2.69 miles of the Eastern Trail between North Berwick, Wells, and Kennebunk - $5.5 million.
- 13 HEADS Up! Projects aimed at improvement pedestrian safety along streets and at intersections in nine municipalities - $4.9 million.
- Extension of the Beth Condon Memorial Parkway in Yarmouth - $1.8 million.
Aviation
Maine has six commercial airports and 29 general aviation airports. This Work Plan provides $220 million in funding for the state aviation system. This includes $218 million for capital projects and $2 million for operations at Maine’s state-owned airports. These aviation investments include:
- Reconstruction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of runways, aprons, and taxiways - $49.1 million.
- Runway reconstruction at Bangor International Airport in cooperation with the Maine Air National Guard and U.S. Department of Defense - $29.3 million.
- Terminal projects at Bangor International Airport and Dexter Regional Airport - $16.4 million.
- Upgraded airfield lighting, obstruction clearing, and snow-removal equipment - $13.3 million.
Transit
This Work Plan provides $235.4 million in transit investments across the state. This includes $95.5 million in capital projects and $139.9 million to support transit operations. These investments provide critical support to Maine’s 22 regional and local transit providers, where ridership has returned to 66 percent of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. These transit investments include:
- Rehabilitation work on the City of Bangor’s Community Connector bus storage facility, including work to help prepare the facility for the future installation of electric vehicle charging equipment - $9.8 million.
- A two-year operating pilot bus service between Portland and Lewiston to support commuters and workforce development efforts - $4 million.
- Support for the GO Maine ridesharing program, in partnership with the Maine Turnpike Authority - $1.5 million.
Ferry Service
The ferry services that serve Maine’s island communities are critical connections between those communities and the mainland. This Work Plan provides $127.1 million in support of ferry projects. This includes $75 million for capital projects for the Maine State Ferry Service (MSFS), Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD/Casco Bay Lines), and the Frye Island Ferry. These projects include:
- The design and construction of a hybrid ferry that will carry passengers and vehicles between Lincolnville and Islesboro along with associated shoreside infrastructure improvements - $65.4 million.
- Landside improvements to support the CBITD.
This Work Plan also includes $52.1 million in operational costs for the MSFS.
Passenger Rail
This Work Plan provides $53.1 million to support Amtrack Downeaster operations. This service helps provide greater connectivity between Midcoast Maine and the Greater Boston area. Downeaster ridership has returned to pre-pandemic levels and is now serving more than 500,000 passengers a year.
Freight Rail
Every year, more than one million tons of freight move over state-owned rail lines. That’s the equivalent of 63,000 trucks. The freight rail network provides critical infrastructure that supports the movement of goods and materials, and this helps strengthen our state’s economy.
This Work Plan provides $204.8 million for capital freight projects. These include:
- Investments from the Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) to maintain and improve the state rail network to support heavy rail cares and double-stack clearances - $76 million.
- Improvements to the CSX line between Gray and Waterville through a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant - $35 million.
- Rehabilitation of 13 bridges – 12 on the Northern Maine Rail Network and one over the New Meadows River in West Bath - $16 million.
Ports & Marine
Maine has three deepwater ports. The working waterfronts along our state’s coastline rely on investments to critical infrastructure in ports and harbors. This Work Plan provides $165.5 million for capital projects to support the development of Maine’s ports and marine infrastructure. Highlights of that work include:
- A Port Infrastructure Development Program (PDIP) Grant for a reefer rack, which will be a companion project to the construction of the new cold storage facility at the International Marine Terminal (IMT) in Portland – $17.8 million.
- Continued development of Maine’s offshore wind industry - $10 million.
- A doubling of annual funding for the Small Harbor Improvement Plan (SHIP) program funding beginning in 2024 – $9.4 million.
We welcome public input. Please contact our Bureau of Planning at 207-624-3300.
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