As a retired engineer with the Maine Department of Transportation, I worked with many communities and businesses who needed their roads and bridges improved in order to serve the citizens of the state.

I am concerned that, due to tremendous construction inflation and governmental priorities squeezing out transportation funding, our road and bridge system is seriously suffering. I don’t remember our roadway system being in as poor shape as it is now. If we don’t fix some of these roads now, it will be far more expensive to fix them later.

Our bridges are also in a quandary. Currently, there are nearly 288 bridges that are at risk of being posted for weight restrictions (over 60 of which are already posted). People take their roads and bridges for granted until they are no longer able to use the same route to school, work or recreation; when they are forced to take a longer route, they realize what a problem it is.

If we neglect that system, public safety will be impacted, as will commerce. Already, each spring the state is forced to post up to 2,000 miles, or 20 percent of the state road system. That should be unacceptable in a rural state that depends on road access to create new jobs and bring products to market.

I urge Maine legislators and the governor to step up their commitment to our transportation needs before we find ourselves in a crisis from which we won’t be able to dig out.

Larry Roberts, Winthrop