Replacement of Maine-Canada bridge gets major fed aid boost

MADAWASKA, Maine – The state of Maine will receive $36 million to help pay for the replacement of an aging bridge that connects one of its northernmost communities with the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who chairs the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, says the money will go toward replacing the Madawaska International Bridge. The bridge connects Madawaska, Maine, with Edmundston, New Brunswick.

The money is through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program, which uses federal grants to help communities fix infrastructure. The program served 26 projects in the country last year.

Collins’ office says temporary closures and a weight limit on the bridge force some residents and businesses to drive as many as 75 miles out of their way. The total cost of replacement is estimated at $73.5 million.