A $20 million bridge replacement project located in New Hampshire and Maine is now underway with a signed agreement between the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT).
The Memorial Bridge, which is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine, is currently closed to truck traffic and trucks that move goods from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are forced to detour, resulting in increased costs and lost time.
"A new Memorial Bridge will create jobs and help move goods more efficiently from the shipyard to the rest of the country," said Secretary LaHood. "Our investment in this critical project will pay dividends to Maine and New Hampshire and provide an economic boost to the entire region."
The Memorial Bridge project received $20 million from the DOT's TIGER II (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program in October, 2010 that will help fully replace the bridge. The overall cost of the project is estimated at $90 million.