Transportation

The State of Maine offers various opportunities for businesses to ship products quickly and cost effectively to international and domestic markets. These include: the highway system, airport facilities, seaports, and rail service.

Maine voters showed their dedication to maintaining and improving the quality of their transportation infrastructure by passing a $63.4 million transportation bond in November, 2003.  Combined with federal and local funds, $300 million was invested to improve highways and bridges, railroads, airports, port and ferry facilities, trails, and other transit projects.

Maine Transportation Facts and Figures:

  • Maine has six commercial airports, and more than 60 small public airports, 15 of which accommodate corporate jets.
  • Maine has 1,400 miles of rail track and seven strategically located ports.
  • The State has invested $56 million to complete and rehabilitate its major ports at Portland, Searsport and Eastport, with freight rail and highway connections. These ports are open year-round, are ice-free, and have deep-water channels and berthing.
  • More than 7,000 licensed carriers provide interstate overland service to points in New England and the Atlantic seaboard.
  • More than 450 trucking firms provide service within the State of Maine. Maine does not engage in economic regulation of the trucking industry.
  • Maine has a 20-year maintenance and improvement plan to keep its highways safe and efficient.
  • Twenty-one percent of the U.S. market, and 52 percent of the Canadian market are within a 10-hour drive (or a short airplane hop) of Augusta.