SENATOR HILL URGES U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY TO SUPPORT GRANT FOR SARAH MILDRED LONG BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Sarah Mildred Long bridge nearing end of useful life; rated structurally deficient & functionally obsolete

AUGUSTA – Democratic Senator Dawn Hill of York has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx in support of Maine and New Hampshire’s grant application to replace the Sarah Mildred Long bridge.

“The Sarah Mildred Long bridge is one of three gateway bridges to Maine–these bridges are crucial for our economy. The Sarah Mildred Long bridge has served us well since 1940, but it is time to replace it,” said Senator Hill.

Replacing the bridge is estimated to cost $172 million. Maine and New Hampshire have applied for a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to replace the rail portion of the bridge, which is used by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

When members of the New Hampshire House Public Works and Highway Committee visited the shipyard last month, they were told that without the bridge, vital shipments would be imperiled and the Navy could relocate.

According to the TIGER grant application, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has an estimated regional economic impact of $1.6 billion.

Maine and New Hampshire applied for a TIGER grant in 2013 for the Sarah Mildred Long bridge but the application was not successful.

The 2014 request was submitted in April.

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A copy of the letter from Senator Hill to Secretary Foxx is available here.