Bucksport moving ahead with 400-foot dock for cruise ships
$4.1M project to be paid with federal funds
The project will transform the town dock into a year-round pier with an ADA-compliant gangway. Photo by Emily Baer.
April 7, 2026
By Emily Baer
BUCKSPORT -- Bucksport officials announced during a town council meeting on April 2 that the town’s long-anticipated waterfront infrastructure development project has been put out to bid, marking a major step forward after years of planning and engineering work.
The $4.1 million project, which is fully funded through congressionally directed spending appropriations secured by U.S. Senator Susan Collins, will transform the town dock into a 400-foot, year-round concrete-surfaced float with an ADA-compliant gangway and three-phase power to supply for cruise ships.
The project was initially expected to go out to bid last year but was delayed by an extended environmental impact review and, later, by the federal government shutdown.
“This has been a very long, arduous process,” said Rich Rotella, Bucksport’s community and economic development director, during the town council meeting. Rotella noted that the town’s financial contribution has been limited to preliminary engineering work, part of which was supported by a Shore and Harbor Improvement Program (SHIP) grant in 2019.
In addition to the federal funding, the town secured $825,000 from a mercury contamination settlement to fund upgrades to water and electrical infrastructure at the site, Rotella said. Those upgrades will allow ships to connect to shore power, reducing reliance on diesel generators.
In the end, the town will have contributed approximately $68,000—most of which has already been expended—toward the project, Rotella said.
Bucksport began receiving cruise ships in 2018 and has continued to strengthen its position in the following years. Last year, town officials signed a 15-year agreement granting priority docking rights to American Cruise Lines, with an option to extend the deal for an additional five years.
The company, which does not disclose exact passenger counts, is expected to bring approximately 2,400 visitors to Bucksport this year. Officials have confirmed that 20 American Cruise Line vessels will be docking in town between May 31 and Sept. 23.
