Governor Janet Mills announced today that the Maine Department of Transportation is soliciting and awarding bids to repair State of Maine infrastructure damaged by last week’s storm.
Following the Governor’s declaration of a State of Emergency last week, MaineDOT’s Maintenance & Operations and Project Development Bureaus expedited the work required to stabilize roads, assess damage, prepare initial cost estimates and bid documents, seek Federal approval, and bring contractor partners on board to help rebuild some of the most heavily damaged infrastructure while ensuring eligibility for Federal reimbursement.
MaineDOT advertised four contracts to bidders yesterday and anticipates opening bids and awarding the contracts as soon as this afternoon. These contracts include work on Route 26 in Newry, Route 16 in the Carrabassett Valley, and the Sandy River Bridge in Strong. MaineDOT intends to advertise three more contracts for bidders tomorrow morning.
At this time, MaineDOT estimates thatemergency response and infrastructure repairscaused by last week’s storm will cost approximately $10 million to $12 million.
“We are committed to repairing and rebuilding State-owned roads and bridges as quickly as possible as part of our larger effort to help Maine people and our communities recover,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I thank MaineDOT for its hard work.”
“On behalf of MaineDOT, I would like to thank our state agency and contractor partners for their continued help in responding to last week’s storm,” said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. “I would also like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during the past few days. I also need to extend a special thank you to all the MaineDOT team members for their efforts over the last week. During a time when attention is, understandably, focused on family and friends and the holiday season, we had hundreds of experienced team members spread across the state to ensure the continued safety and reliability of Maine’s transportation system. I am proud of their dedication and hard work, which will continue until we fully repair every state road and bridge damaged by the storm.”
At this time, eleven state highways or bridges remain closed. This compares to the nearly 100 closures at the height of the storm. Infrastructure damage is concentrated in Franklin and Oxford counties.
Virtually all the approximately 900 team members in MaineDOT’s Bureau of Maintenance & Operations were involved in storm response last week. Many worked long hours and traveled long distances to assess and repair damaged roads and bridges. MaineDOT crews cleared trees, repaired shoulders, and reconnected driveways. Many crew members assisted Central Maine Power with traffic control related to power restoration efforts in Kennebec County.
The best source for information about road and bridge closures is always www.newengland511.org, which is continuously updated.
Aerial video of the damage to Route 26 in Newry is available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEWGvP5ZZMM.