Rail component of Sarah Mildred Long Bridge to benefit from $25-million TIGER grant

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
image description
A nuclear fuel transport train traveling from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, across the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge toward Portsmouth, NH.
Eric L. Reuter, via Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will award $25 million in a Transportation Investment Generation Economic Recovery VI grant to the Maine Department of Transportation to replace the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge connecting Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, N.H.

 

The funds secured will specifically replace Sarah Mildred Long Bridge’s rail component, which supports an important national security need, enabling the safe and efficient transportation of materials from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The total project cost is approximately $158.5 million.

“This is fantastic news for Kittery and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which relies heavily on this bridge for the safe transportation of materials from the shipyard,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said. “For years, I have been pressing USDOT to fund this renovation. It is long past due that the bridge, which the Federal Highway Administration has classified as structurally deficient, be replaced. It is absolutely essential that shipyard facilities and infrastructure match the skill and dedication of the men and women who work there and this project is an important step toward that end.”

“This award is great news,” U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) said. “The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is a vital link between Maine and New Hampshire that supports regional commerce, promotes local economic activity and with the rail line into Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, serves our national security interests. I am thrilled USDOT has recognized its importance and along with the two states, will build a new bridge that can safely and efficiently serve the area for many years to come.”

 

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