Senator Collins & MDOT Commissioner Bernhardt Extol Benefits of Multi-Million Dollar Bridge Replacement Project in Milo
Milo, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Maine Commissioner of Transportation David Bernhardt, and Milo Town Manager Damien Pickel toured the Pleasant River Bridge, which is one of three bridges in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties that will be replaced through the help of a $10.8 million TIGER grant secured by Senator Collins. Pleasant River Bridge, which was built in 1936, is structurally deficient and fracture critical. Senator Collins, Commissioner Bernhardt, and Town Manager Pickel observed the bridge’s poor condition firsthand and discussed how the replacement project will ensure that this vital transportation artery remains accessible to the region’s businesses, residents, and visitors.
“The Pleasant River Bridge serves as a critical transportation link for loggers and visitors to the area and is relied upon by residents of Milo and the surrounding communities to reach their homes, jobs, and health care,” said Senator Collins. “This important funding provided by the TIGER grant program will allow the Maine Department of Transportation to move forward in replacing this bridge, along with two other bridges in the region, which are crucial transportation arteries that will improve public safety and help to support and create jobs in rural Maine.”
“I want to thank Senator Susan Collins on her tireless efforts in helping to secure funds that allows us to build and maintain Maine’s infrastructure. It is always important to see the challenges we face to our transportation system,” said Commissioner Bernhardt. “Our walk on the Pleasant River Bridge in Milo is an example of knowing where the money is best spent and how it can positively impact a region. I look forward to continue working with the Senator to help better Maine’s transportation system for generations to come.”
Last month, Senator Collins announced that the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) will receive $10,836,220 through the TIGER grant program to replace the Pleasant River Bridge, the Mattawamkeag Bridge, and the West Branch Bridge that are either structurally deficient, in a fracture critical state, or both. Without these crucial bridges, detours would add between 12 and nearly 100 miles to one-way trips.
TIGER provides federal assistance for vital transportation projects across the country. Since the program’s inception in 2009, Senator Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, has secured more than $133 million for key transportation investments throughout Maine, including bridges, seaports, and rail projects. Maine TIGER grant applications have been successful in every funding round.
