AUGUSTA, Maine ? In response to a request for assistance by Vermont on Friday, the Maine Department of Transportation will be sending workers and equipment to Vermont in an effort to help repair the state?s storm-damaged roads and bridges.
?Maine has a long-standing tradition of helping neighbors in need, and this is no exception,? said Governor Paul LePage. ?The extraordinary damage in Vermont would compel any neighbor to assist however they can.?
On Tuesday (September 6), MaineDOT will send 149 employees along with heavy equipment such as excavators, loaders, graders, dumptrucks and other vehicles in an effort to help speed Vermont?s recovery. Maine will send 145 vehicles in all. As of Sunday, Vermont still had 18 bridges closed and over 200 miles of roads that were damaged or closed due to Tropical Storm Irene.
This past Friday, September 2, Vermont requested MaineDOT?s assistance under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) which is administered through the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
Over the holiday weekend, MaineDOT sent an advance team to Vermont that met with Vermont officials and toured the state, inspecting the damage. This team then worked to plan the mobilization of equipment and staff. Mobilization of equipment occurred during the weekend and Labor Day.
MaineDOT has been mobilizing equipment in three different staging areas in preparation for the trip to Vermont. MaineDOT crews are planning to leave on Tuesday (tomorrow) for Vermont. 149 MaineDOT employees volunteered to assist in the relief effort. It is expected that the duration of deployment will be a maximum of two weeks. The cost of the relief effort will be reimbursed from federal emergency relief funds administered through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
?We are fortunate in Maine not to have suffered similar damage to our roads and bridges. Storm repairs are continuing in Maine, but are not as extensive as those in Vermont. In this type of emergency situation, we can temporarily aid our neighbors to help speed their recovery,? said MaineDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt.