The State of Maine is home to 1.3 million people, spread across roughly 34,000 square miles. Our state has the lowest population density by far in all of New England. Consequently, continuing to improve and upgrade our roads, highways, boats, and bridges is essential to Maine's future prosperity. Moreover, the expansion and the improvement of our transportation system are vital to increasing job opportunities for all the citizens of our state.
The federal highway bill recently passed by the Senate should allow the state to pursue some very high-priority transportation projects over the next six years. The bill includes a change in the federal highway formula – used to calculate how much money each state will receive – that will benefit Maine. Overall transportation spending for Maine would increase to $1.269 billion over the next six years, a 33 percent increase, giving our state adequate funding to build, repair, and maintain our transportation system. In the process, the work involved in improving our transportation infrastructure will provide good jobs for Mainers and help the economy of our state to thrive.
As a native of Aroostook County, I have long been a strong supporter of the Aroostook North-South Highway – a four-lane, limited access highway project in the county, currently undergoing the final stages of an Environmental Impact Statement. Northern Maine desperately needs the transportation and safety improvements that such a highway would bring, and I have made its creation one of my top transportation priorities. I am hopeful that the higher funding levels authorized by this legislation will enable our state to continue moving this vitally important project forward into the construction phase.
Just as I believe that the Aroostook Highway is critical for the transportation system and economy of northern Maine, I also believe that an East-West highway, potentially running from the Maritime provinces through eastern, central, and western Maine to Quebec and northern New York, would significantly boost economic growth and development throughout the entire region.
Maine, like other northeastern states, must deal with an aging transportation infrastructure. It requires maintenance, rehabilitation, and in some cases outright replacement. The most pressing example of this problem is the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, a major suspension bridge that carries U.S. Route 1 over the Penobscot River south of Bangor. The bridge is the gateway to Downeast, one of Maine's most widely visited regions. The nearest alternative for crossing the Penobscot is some 20 miles away, in Bangor, and any interruption in service would thus require a detour of at least 40 miles. The condition of the bridge has been declining steadily for a number of years, and the bridge must be replaced soon. The highway bill would provide the funding needed to get the project underway.
This legislation also allows us to address the myriad of transportation safety issues, including the federal truck weight limits that have been a problem in Maine. Under current law, trucks weighing as much as 100,000 pounds are allowed to travel on the Maine Turnpike from the New Hampshire border as far as Augusta. But at Augusta, trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds must leave I-95 as the highway continues north to Houlton. These heavy trucks are forced onto smaller, secondary roads that pass through cities, towns, and villages, putting Maine's citizens and motorists needlessly at risk. By correcting this limitation, we can reduce the travel times necessary to transport freight through Maine, help to preserve local roads and keep trucks on the Interstate, where they belong, rather lumbering through Maine's small towns and neighborhoods.
With 3,400 miles of coastline and 14 inhabited islands, our state depends on programs like the Federal Highway Administration's Ferry Boat Discretionary Program to help pay for transportation to our island communities. I am therefore pleased that an amendment I offered with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), which authorizes $120 million for ferry boat construction and ferry terminal facilities, was included in the version of the bill that passed the Senate. Furthermore, an amendment I offered with Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), providing $200 million in formula funding for border projects was included in the Senate bill. As a result, Maine could look forward to $29 million in funding for border transportation projects such as the Calais St. Stephen Bridge project.
While this highway legislation includes funding for traditional transportation programs, I am pleased it also includes increased funding for both Transportation Enhancements and the Recreational Trails Program, which have allowed states to greatly expand their bicycle path systems. In Maine, for example, 94 bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways have been built with Transportation Enhancements.
I also believe that it is in our national interest to preserve passenger rail service in the United States and to help maintain the solvency of Amtrak. Currently, there is no long-term, stable funding source for passenger rail in the U.S. I am pleased that the Highway Bill authorizes $12 billion over the next six years in Amtrak funding. Additionally, my colleague Senator Snowe and I were successful in including another amendment to fund projects that maximize air quality and congestion relief was included in the bill. This provision will allow the Downeaster passenger rail service between Portland and Boston to extend its use of Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program funding for an additional two years. I applaud my Senate colleagues for passing this important bill, which will do so much for our state. While it has not been reconciled yet with the House of Representatives' version, I am hopeful that the improvements it would make possible will be retained and signed into law, making it easier to do business in Maine and generating thousands of jobs in the process. With our basic infrastructure strengthened, our state will be ready to compete.