Department of Transportation rolls out $1.8B in infrastructure grants

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Dive Brief:

The federal Department of Transportation awarded a combined $1.8 billion in grants to highway and other infrastructure projects around the country, according to an announcement last month.
The projects most relevant to the trucking industry include highway upgrades in Alaska, bridges in multiple areas to remove railway crossings, and the rerouting of commercial motor vehicles near a Mexico border crossing in Arizona.
“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the announcement.

By the numbers

$25 million for Alaska highway improvements

The project in Fairbanks, Alaska, will restore about 45 miles of the Alaska Highway affected by thawing permafrost and other climate change-related degradation.

$25 million for a railroad bridge in California

The project in Santa Ana, California, will reconstruct an existing rail crossing at Santa Ana Boulevard with a new multimodal, grade-separated underpass.

$24.9 million for Pennsylvania road, bridge, other upgrades

The project in Sharpsburg will plan, design and build an roughly 300-foot bridge over the Conemaugh rail line and additional roadway to the riverfront district, along with a multi-use trail on the Allegheny River shoreline and bus stop improvements.

$23.5 million for Complete Streets improvements in Arizona

The project will redirect cross-border truck traffic away from the City of Douglas' downtown streets and use Complete Streets solutions to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries. It also includes pavement resurfacing, pedestrian facilities, safety measures, traffic circulation solutions and drainage improvements.

$3 million for a study of railroad crossings in Alabama

A planning grant will go toward increasing connectivity for residents, removing at-grade rail crossings and reducing railway blockages that currently landlock neighborhoods. The study will quantify and recommend new alignments to reduce unnecessary idling while cars and trucks wait for trains to pass.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

Dive Insight:

The department announced the awards, part of a competitive, annual program, as the secretary embarks on a tour of construction projects to promote infrastructure investments ahead of the presidential election.

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grants are going out in addition to separate funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Buttigieg noted in the announcement.

The infrastructure law’s trucking-related funding included projects to add truck parking, combat climate change and create a multimodal freight office within the DOT to improve supply chain resilience.

“We’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers,” Buttigieg said.