Funding for the Iowa Transportation Improvement Program is now locked in through 2024, thanks to the approval of the Iowa Transportation Committee, guaranteeing investments in many infrastructure areas.
Aviation, public transit, railroads, trails, and highways all will benefit under the new program. Additions are coming in as part of the state’s fuel tax increase that has been the law of the land since 2015. This is especially true for road and bridge projects, where 100 percent of the additional revenue is being allocated. In all, $3.5 billion will be put to highway right of way and construction, with the majority of that going to rural areas.
More than $2 billion will go toward modernizing the state’s highway/interstate system and enhancing its safety features. Another more than $1 billion will benefit state-owned bridges — an extension of existing efforts. There is, however, some uncertainty as to how much federal funding the state will receive for all this once the effects of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) end on Sept. 30, 2020.
Among the work being undertaken are four-lane highway improvements, replacement of nine Mississippi River Bridges, and a series of small and medium-sized safety projects. The money will also support ongoing highway projects.