Waterville Receives $7.3 million Federal Transportation Grant

Waterville, Maine—Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the City of Waterville will receive a Department of Transportation BUILD grant for a total of $7,371,200 to make a number of improvements to its downtown streets and traffic pattern. 

“Some fantastic things have been happening in Waterville’s downtown over the last few years—new businesses, redevelopment, investment, and a resurgence of the arts, to name a few. Bringing the city’s traffic flow and infrastructure up to date is key to keeping up the momentum,” Pingree. “This grant will fund significant changes to decrease congestion, improve safety, and increase access for pedestrians. I’m excited to see this highly anticipated project come to fruition.” 

The project will convert two downtown streets from single-direction traffic to two-way traffic, improve five intersections, and reconstruct sidewalks and major public spaces to promote accessibility and walkability throughout the downtown.

Pingree submitted a letter in support of the city’s application for the grant.

In October, Pingree held a roundtable with stakeholders from Waterville’s arts community and took a walking tour of downtown redevelopment. She has a District Office in downtown Waterville on Silver Street.