April 2024 City Scoop: Portland, Maine
City Grill
Tim Cote
Project Director
HNTB
Work in the Portland area has focused on road and bridge rehabilitation to “maintain and maximize the efficiency of its transportation system,” says Cote, noting that Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding and additional toll revenue “has broadened to include more robust transportation infrastructure.”
As of January, more than $2 billion in statewide funding from the law was allotted for Maine, with more than 218 projects identified that target 355 bridges and more than 1,284 miles of highway across the region.
“The Maine Dept. of Transportation and other regional agencies will be looking to execute on infrastructure improvement projects simultaneously,” Cote says.
HNTB helped the Maine Turnpike Authority complete the Portland Area Widening Program, “the most extensive capital program in the agency’s history,” Cote says.
Employing innovative techniques will be critical to balance the region’s resources, he says. “Maintaining comprehensive planning to ensure materials and skilled labor are in place to deliver is essential,” he adds.
