The Maine Department of Transportation is receiving $16.6 million in federal funding to help prepare its ferry terminals in Lincolnville and Islesboro for the arrival of a hybrid electric ferry and make other upgrades to the facilities.
The funding is part of nearly $300 million awarded to ferry projects across the country through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it follows another grant of $7.1 million that was awarded for the Lincolnville-Islesboro terminals last year, which paid for expanding docking space and installing electric charging stations.
Those terminals were built in 1959, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition to helping lay the groundwork for the hybrid electric ferry which is expected to be delivered to Maine in 2027, the new funding will also help make safety and other improvements.
Maine DOT’s Islesboro ferry route is the agency’s most-used, carrying roughly 180,000 walk-on passengers and more than 80,000 vehicles every year, according to the office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
“This historic funding for FTA’s Ferry Programs will enhance ways for people to travel by water,” said Veronica Vanterpool, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. “We applaud ferry agencies for taking the big step toward electrification, increasing reliability, and bringing their aging ferry systems into a state of good repair.”
A total of 18 projects in 14 states received funding in this round of grants.
