Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding
In November 2021, the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) became law. This bill includes increased funding levels for transportation, new formula programs, and many discretionary grant opportunities. For MaineDOT to lend its support while seeking funding for your community, early coordination is essential.
To take full advantage of these opportunities, MaineDOT aims to coordinate and possibly partner with other eligible applicants on applications. We offer planning partnership programs like the Village Partnership Initiative to scope projects for future discretionary grant opportunities. Please contact the planner in your region to discuss applicable programs and funding opportunities.
To facilitate coordination on discretionary grant applications and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests, MaineDOT has developed a Special Federal Funding Support Request Checklist (PDF) and requests that all Maine local cities and towns complete and submit this form for the following circumstances:
- You are submitting a discretionary grant application or CDS request for a transportation improvement project on the MaineDOT state highway system.
- You are requesting that MaineDOT sign a Letter of Support for a discretionary grant application or CDS request.
- You are requesting that MaineDOT become a funding partner for a discretionary grant application or a CDS request.
- You are requesting that MaineDOT be listed as the lead delivery or submitting agency for a discretionary grant program or CDS request.
This website provides more information on BIL programs, formula funding for Maine, and funding opportunities through discretionary grant programs and partnerships with MaineDOT discussed at length below. For more information about the law, see the U.S. Department of Transportation's BIL page.
- Traditional core highway programs that support roads, bridges, freight, transit, and rural transportation:
- National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)
- Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG)
- Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)
- Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ)
- New formula programs:
- Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation and Construction Program
- Carbon Reduction Program
- Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Formula Program
- National Vehicle Electric Formula Program
- Traditional discretionary grant programs:
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
- Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA)
- Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI)
- New discretionary grant programs with focuses on:
- Bridges
- Ferries
- Electric vehicle infrastructure
- Culverts
- Resilient infrastructure
- Rural surface transportation projects
- Safety
The BIL calls for MaineDOT to eventually receive $1.3 billion in core federal highway and bridge program funding and an additional $225 million in dedicated bridge funding over five years (FY2022-2026).
- Core Highway programs were retained (e.g., NHPP, STBP, HSIP, CMAQ)
- New formula programs were added: Bridge Program, Carbon Reduction Program, PROTECT, and National Vehicle Electric Formula Program
Core formula funding translates into an estimated $66 million more in reliable formula funding on average over the five-year life of the bill, representing about a 28% increase over existing levels. This is a healthy increase, and it could not have come at a better time. Construction cost increases are up 30-40% in Maine over the last three years and continuing to rise. This makes the increase especially well timed. The increase is analogous to a retroactive cost-of-living pay raise in an individual’s paycheck.
Transit formula funding for operations received a healthy 33% increase, and airports may receive increases estimated from 30% to 100%, depending on the size of the airport, use, landings, etc. For Maine, total annual funding for transit operations is approximately $48 million and $14.8 million annually for airports. The bulk of multimodal capital funding will come from discretionary grant programs. These formula funds are incorporated into MaineDOT’s three-year Work Plan published in January 2022.
MaineDOT has applied for the following USDOT discretionary grant opportunities:
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
- Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG)
- National Scenic Byways Program
- Bridge Investment Program (BIP)
- Ferry Service for Rural Communities
- Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program
- Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP)
- Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program
- Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program
To date, we have been awarded $126.7 million in FY2022 for the following projects:
- Downtown Sanford Village Partnership Initiative: $25 million (estimated total project cost: $34.4 million)
- I-95 Interchange Improvement Program at Hogan Road in Bangor: $24.6 million (estimated total project cost: $35 million)
- Presque Isle Corridor Project: $44.1 million (estimated total project cost: $84.3 million)
- Downeast Coastal U.S. Route 1 Rehabilitation Project: $33 million (estimated total project cost: $55 million)
Additionally, Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit was awarded $2 million for battery electric buses to replace diesel buses. For additional information, see the Federal BIL Transportation discretionary grant programs and the corresponding MaineDOT discretionary grant applications
Key discretionary grant opportunities open right now include:
- Application period open through February 6, 2023
- $196 million nationally for FY2022
- For the replacement, removal, and repair of culverts or weirs that meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. Anadromous fish species are born in freshwater such as streams and rivers, spend most of their lives in the marine environment, and migrate back to freshwater to spawn.
- Eligible applicants include tribes, states, and local governments.
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
- Application period open through February 28, 2023
- $1.5 billion nationally for FY2023
- For surface transportation infrastructure projects that improve: safety; environmental sustainability; quality of life; mobility and community connectivity; economic competitiveness and opportunity, including tourism; state of good repair; partnership and collaboration; and innovation.
- Eligible applicants include: states; any territory or possession of the United States; a unit of local government; a public agency or publicly chartered authority; a special purpose direct or public authority; a federally recognized Indian Tribe or consortium of Indian Tribes; a transit agency; a multi-state or multijurisdictional group
- This NOFO will be updated on or before December 14th
For additional information, please review the U.S. DOT discretionary grant opportunities as well as eligible applicants for each discretionary grant program.
Future discretionary grant opportunities will be posted here as information becomes available. For more information on upcoming discretionary grant funding opportunities, visit the U.S. DOT's Funding Opportunitiy Notices page
State Climate Goals
The following formula funding programs and discretionary grant opportunities directly align with the Climate Action Plan Goals and Strategies included in Maine Won’t Wait. In addition to these programs, MaineDOT often programs projects with climate change components into broader formula programs not listed below. Most all of our discretionary grant applications also include projects with climate change components (e.g., improved accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians).
Formula Programs
- Carbon Reduction Program
- PROTECT formula
- National Vehicle Electric Formula Program
- Transit formula funds of roughly $48 million annually also supportclimate change goals.
Discretionary Grant Programs
- PROTECT discretionary
- Charging and Refueling Infrastructure Grants
- Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities
- Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Program
- Low or No Emission (Bus) Grants
- National Culvert Removal, Replacement & Restoration Grant
State Economic Goals
MaineDOT’s mission statement is:
“To support economic opportunity and quality of life by responsibility providing our customers the safest and most reliable transportation system possible, given available resources.”
MaineDOT achieves this goal in a myriad of ways. Some representative examples are as follows:
- Transit Funding: The Maine Economic Development Strategy 2020-2029 includes a strategy to provide supporting infrastructure to ensure quality of life and attract talent to the state. The strategy focuses on sustainable funding for public transportation. Increases in transit formula funding will help address this goal.
- Village Partnership Initiative (VPI): MaineDOT’s VPI program focuses on making transportation improvements to lower-speed areas where people meet, walk, shop, and do business. Through the VPI program, a partnership between MaineDOT and the City of Sanford recently resulted in a $25-million RAISE award for transportation improvements to downtown Sanford. Additionally, improvements to downtown Gardiner recently won a regional award through the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the Quality of Life/Community Development category.
- Maine International Cold Storage Facility: MaineDOT and the Maine Port Authority have worked with private developers to deliver a game-changing, state-of-the-art cold storage facility at the International Marine Terminal in Portland. The new facility is expected to meet the refrigerated cargo demand of a wide variety of customers and be big enough to accommodate other customers from Maine’s growing food, beverage, and biopharmaceutical industries.
- Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP): This program encourages economic development and increased use of rail.
- Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI): MaineDOT pursues discretionary grants under this program to improve the safety and reliability of rail and to support economic development.
- Supporting Emerging Clean Energy Industries: MaineDOT is working to evaluate and develop wind port assets needed to support the rapidly emerging offshore wind market.
Key Contacts
For more local information, please contact the planner assigned to your region
- Southern and Midcoast - Steve Cole (207-441-4803)
- Western - Matt Drost (207-441-1879)
- Eastern and Northern - Jarod Farn-Guillette (207-215-9558)
