$20M for Memorial Bridge, Guinta Opposed Grant

by: William Tucker

Fri Oct 15, 2010 at 14:26:06 PM EDT

New Hampshire and Maine have been awarded a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help fund the Memorial Bridge replacement project. The bridge is the only crossing available for pedestrians and cyclists between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine. It has a life expectancy of only 2 to 5 more years.

The grant application had bipartisan support from both states' Congressional delegations. Thank you, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Thank you, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.

Frank Guinta opposed the grant:

Asked about whether he would support earmarks for replacement of the Memorial Bridge, [Guinta] said he's taken "a no-earmark pledge." As such, he said, if a project is not a "federal responsibility, other funds than federal funds are going to have to be found. It's a tough stance, and it doesn't mean the project's not worthy. But the budget is $1.3 trillion out of balance. We have to bring the budget into balance."

Cross-posted to Miscellany Blue