FREEPORT, Maine — U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with state leaders Tuesday to tour several infrastructure sites in Maine in celebration of federal dollars at work.
The secretary first stopped at two major bridges under construction in Freeport: the Merrill Road Interchange Bridge that crosses over I-295 and the Mallett Drive Bridge near Exit 22.
Both bridges cost about $26.5 million. Of that, $17.7 million is funded with federal dollars, $11 million of which is through the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note said in a news conference with Buttigieg that until recently, a lack of funding would have made it impossible to take on two major bridge projects at the same time. Now it's a reality.
"Instead of dealing with the most critical thing that you just have to take care of, now there's a chance to be a little more strategic a little more long-term, so that's a big part of why it was so important for the federal money to be of these proportions," Buttigieg said. "Here, [construction workers] really had to innovate in terms of the bridge design, to deal with all of the road salt that you really need in order to keep the roads safe, but it has penetrated into the old design structure and accelerating the demise of the structure."
Buttigieg said the investments through the bipartisan infrastructure law aren't only to repair existing roads and bridges but to also build climate resilience, especially in states like Maine which saw severe winter weather this past year.
"We can't go on just saying we're going to require a community to put back a road the exact same way it used to be. If a hundred-year flood becomes an annual event and it's washing out all of the time, so we're incorporating that more into the funding," Buttigieg said. "It was incorporated into the bill, and there's going to be more of that need, but we're here to help in a big way."
Buttigieg was reportedly being considered as a potential pick for running mate in Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Harris' campaign made the announcement Tuesday.
Buttigieg said Tuesday he could not talk specifics in terms of Harris' campaign, but he expressed his appreciation for Walz.
"As secretary, I work with Gov. Walz, and he's a fantastic partner, a great leader who understands the importance of infrastructure and just someone I really enjoy working with," Buttigieg added.
Buttigieg will also meet in Portland on Wednesday to continue his tour of Maine.