Senator Collins strongly advocated for the Eastport Port Authority’s successful application for the BUILD grant program, and as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she worked to ensure robust funding for this critical infrastructure program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that the Eastport Port Authority will receive $19.7 million through the federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to support the modernization of the city’s breakwater and fish pier.
Specifically, the funding will be used to rehabilitate and upgrade Eastport’s 45-year-old fish pier, which has deteriorated to a critical condition and is at risk of structural failure, and to complete a 97-foot extension of Eastport’s breakwater, improving wave attenuation, protecting the inner harbor, and helping ensure safe and reliable operations for all users.
“This significant investment will strengthen Eastport’s working waterfront, further protect the harbor from storm damage, and support the individuals and businesses who depend on this critical infrastructure,” said Senator Collins. “I strongly advocated for this project because these upgrades to the fish pier and breakwater will make Eastport’s harbor safer, more resilient, and better able to support the local economy for years to come.”
In March, Senator Collins sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in support of the Eastport Port Authority’s BUILD grant application. In her letter, she stressed that the fish pier and breakwater upgrades are needed to meet the safety and economic needs of eastern Maine.
As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins included $145 million for BUILD grants in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill. The BUILD program provides federal assistance for important road, rail, transit, and port projects across the country.
Since 2009, when Senator Collins became a member of the Appropriations Committee, she has helped secure more than $1 billion in competitive transportation grants for the State of Maine.
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