COLLINS ANNOUNCES PROPOSED 33% FUNDING RISE FOR MAINE TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, DC —- US Senator Susan Collins today announced that Maine would receive $1.169 billion over six years for vital highway, bridge and transportation projects under a major transportation reauthorization bill that could be considered by the US Senate by mid February. The amount allotted to Maine under the bill represents a 33% increase over spending from the most recent, 1998 transportation reauthorization bill. Senator Collins called this increase "very welcome news for our state, our infrastructure and our economy."

"Providing adequate federal resources to keep our highways and bridges safe is vital to our economy and infrastructure. These additional dollars will allow the state to move forward with many critical highway and bridge projects, while also fostering economic development and creating thousands of new jobs in Maine," said Senator Collins.

Specifically, the Senate will soon consider the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA), S 1072, a six-year transportation spending bill. The legislation includes a "formula" which determines the amount of dollars each state will receive for their respective federal highway projects. Under the Senate bill, Maine's share of federal funding is slated to increase by 33 percent.

The bill would authorize a total of $255 billion over six years for highway projects throughout the nation.