Maine voters appeared to strongly support passage of a $100 million bond for transportation projects based on partial voting results Tuesday night.
With 385 of 571 voting precincts reporting results at 11 p.m., 71 percent of votes cast supported the proposal and 29 percent opposed it.
Most of the money – $85 million – would go toward highways and bridges, while $15 million would go to other projects focusing on rail, aviation and ports. If approved, the proposal will bring in $253 million in federal funds.
“Do you favor a $100,000,000 bond issue to build or improve roads, bridges, railroads, airports, transit facilities and ports and make other transportation investments, to be used to leverage an estimated $253,000,000 in federal and other funds?”
It would be paid back over a 10-year period, with interest.
With Question 2 appearing to be headed for passage, Maine Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note issued a statement thanking Maine voters.
“The $100 million general obligation bonds connected to Question 2 will trigger up to $253 million in other investments from federal, local, and private partners,” he said. “Combined, this funding represents about 40 percent of what MaineDOT spends on transportation funding every year. Without these funds, we simply could not do our job for the people who live, work, and travel in Maine.”
Such bonds have passed by healthy margins over the last half-dozen years. If it doesn’t pass, then projects could get cut or pushed back.
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