Baldacci’s Bridge to Safety

Gov. John E. Baldacci last week signed into law an act to authorize $160 million of TransCap Trust Fund revenue bonds over four years for investment in bridge construction and preservation in Maine.

Baldacci, a Democrat, on Thursday signed the act into law after the Legislature on Tuesday passed the bill. It was introduced by Transportation Committee chairman Rep. Boyd Marley, a Democrat, on behalf of Baldacci, and passed the House with bipartisan support by a vote of 124-20.

“The Legislature has taken a strong step forward in protecting Maine’s bridges,” Baldacci said in a statement. “I am gratified by the support this measure has received. It makes sure we can move our people and goods across the state and across the country, and it will put people to work, improving our economy and our infrastructure.”

The law allows an additional $40 million per year to be added on to the current $70 million of bridge funding for the next four years.

To pay debt service costs the plan calls for increased fees. The state’s vehicle registration fee would increase to $35 per year from $25, the title fee would increase to $33 per year from $23, and the vanity plate fee would rise to $25 per year from $15. Baldacci’s office noted that even with the increase, Maine’s fees would remain at or below those of neighboring New Hampshire and the New England average.

“We want our bridges to be reliable, safe, and secure, and that requires us to make investments. The initiative is balanced and responsible,” Baldacci said.

The governor said his proposal was in response to growing concern over the condition of bridges around the state and to a November 2007 report that recommended a significant increase in funding for bridge replacements and repairs in Maine.

The report recommended boosting the $70 million annual spending on repairs and replacements by another $50 million to $60 million. Maine, along with numerous other states, conducted inspections of its bridges after a steel deck truss bridge collapsed on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis last August.

The measure, when combined with other anticipated resources, will fund 246 bridge projects around the state, including 80 bridge replacements.

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