The federal government has agreed to fund the replacement of the Memorial Bridge ”“ deemed one of the “worst bridges in America” ”“ which connects Maine to New Hampshire through Kittery.

U.S. Department of Transportation officials announced last week the $20 million will be guaranteed for the project.

Maine and New Hampshire will contribute $38.5 million each, for a total of $90 million for the bridge, which carries Route 1 traffic over the Piscataqua River.

Projects like this are sound investments and necessary to keep people working. It is encouraging to see Congress making the difficult choices about funding and directing federal money to the best investments.

Memorial Bridge is 88 years old and had to be closed to traffic for more than a week in December because of structural concerns. The bridge’s weight limit was reduced in 2009, and over the summer, a tug operator claimed a giant chunk of steel fell from the bridge.

The bridge is also an important gateway to the state for residents and tourists. Many summer residents coming from points south cross the bridge to get to areas like the Kennebunks and Old Orchard Beach.

Keeping the bridge in good condition is imperative to keeping Maine tourism industry on track.

If travelers are concerned about sitting idle on the bridge in summer traffic, they may think twice about traveling to Maine at all.

And in a state where many roads have to be paved and patched year after year, 88 years is an eternity. These fixes and reconstruction projects will are a necessary evil in a state with harsh winters and heavy spring and fall rains.

The projects, though, keep Maine people working. Road and constructions projects are a large and important part of Maine’s economy. The Memorial Bridge construction, which is scheduled to begin in mid-2012, is expected to take 18 months. That is 18 months of paychecks ”“ hopefully for some Maine residents.

We’re also glad to see U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pushing for projects like this. Collins said replacing the bridge “is crucial to the flow of goods, services, and people between Maine and New Hampshire, and for keeping and attracting new jobs to this region.”

We could not agree more, and with the plethora of projects before Congress, members will have to prioritize. The balance between necessary infrastructure improvements and keeping the economy strong will be paramount as budget negotiations continue.

Federal funding for Memorial Bridge strikes that balance as it is much-needed due to the structural concerns, and a good opportunity to put local contractors to work.

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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.