Project 3.20 Summary:
Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has been experiencing increasing costs in bids received for bridge repair, road paving and other infrastructure construction projects. This was first observed for bridges in the Fall of 2018 and paving in the spring 2019. Moreover, for projects with single bidders, the bids are 30-40% higher than the MaineDOT’s internal cost estimates. These cost increases appear to be greater than those in the neighboring states of Vermont and New Hampshire. This research seeks to evaluate the impact of inflation on these significant bid increases and better understand cost drivers for higher than estimated construction projects for MaineDOT before and after the current pandemic conditions. Possible cost drivers include: Maine’s labor force, steel tariffs, supply side disruptions due to the COVID pandemic, changes in federal trucking regulations, Maine’s recreational cannabis laws, and environmental regulations.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Jonathan Rubin
Institution:
University of Maine
Co-PIs:
Dr. Erin Brown
Dr. Peter O’Brien
Project Type:
Base-Funded Research
Start Date:
02/07/2022
Project Cost:
$25,000
Project Status:
In Progress
End Date:
05/09/2022
Agency ID:
69A3551847101
Sponsors:
MaineDOT
Implementation of Research Outcomes:
This project is in its initial research phase. Implementation of Research outcomes will be reported upon completion of initial research.
Impacts and Benefits of Implementation:
This project is in its initial research phase. Impacts and benefits of the research will be reported after the implementation phase.
Related Links:
Coming Soon
Downloadable Documents
Printable Final Report