The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will fund 20 projects in 20 states totaling nearly $1 billion through its Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program.
“This Administration is focused on infrastructure improvements, and this $906 million in federal funding will improve major highways, bridges, ports, and railroads across the country to better connect our communities, enhance safety, and support economic growth,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
Part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed in 2015; the grant program provides grants to significant building projects across the country, using innovative approaches to improve processes and accountability.
Project applications were evaluated by a team of career USDOT staffers who selected the projects based on how well the project aligned with national and regional economic vitality goals.
Fifty-three percent of the projects have been awarded to projects in rural areas. Six awards, totaling nearly $300 million, are for projects located in an Opportunity Zone, while several others are located near an Opportunity Zone.
The USDOT evaluated 173 applications from 47 states, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, asking for more than $7 billion in grant funds.
Projects include $40 million to the Arkansas Department of Transportation to reconstruct and improve two sections of U.S. 67; $55.15 million to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to widen 11 miles of the Mountain Parkway; $135 million for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for 8.3 miles of elevated highway; and $11.2 million to the Tennessee Department of Transportation to install 143 miles of fiber optic communication between Memphis and Nashville.