WASHINGTON, D.C. – All eight members of the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegation sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in support of a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) V grant for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Replacement Project.

“This critical infrastructure, constructed over 70 years ago, has reached the end of its service life and is in need of a full replacement,” the delegation said. “Full replacement of this bridge is vital to this coastal corridor, as well as the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the Port of New Hampshire.”

“The Sarah Long Bridge has been closed multiple times in recent years due to malfunctions and unplanned major repairs, and its full replacement is critical to maintain safety and support economic activity, including an estimated $1.6 billion regional benefit from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” the delegation continued.

Officials from the Maine and New Hampshire Departments of Transportation have been collaborating on the effort. They recently announced plans to have the new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge ready in November 2017. The estimated cost of replacing the bridge between Kittery, ME and Portsmouth, NH  is about $160 million.

Click here to view the full text of the letter

CONTACT:

Shripal Shah, 202-224-5553 (Shaheen)

Liz Johnson 202-224-3324 (Ayotte)

Kevin Kelley, 202-224-2523 (Collins)

Crystal Canney, 202-224-5344 (King)

Ben Wakana, 202-295-7608 (Shea-Porter)

Rob Friedlander, 202-225-5206 (Kuster)

Ed Gilman, 202-225-6306 (Michaud)

Willy Ritch, 207-841-8400 (Pingree)