President Joe Biden recently signed the bipartisan Bridge Investment Act into law.
The bill was included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in August and the House of Representatives this month.
The bill provides $12.5 billion to fund a bridge investment program that will award competitive grants to governmental entities for projects that improve the condition of bridges. Bridges of all sizes qualify.
The program would allow projects to be bundled into a single application to expedite the process and provide quick grants for small bridge projects. Proposed projects would be evaluated to ensure a fair and efficient allocation of federal funding.
All projects funded by the grants would be required to use American-made steel and iron.
Cities, counties, federal land management agencies, Indian tribes, metropolitan planning organizations, public authorities with transportation functions, special purpose districts, and
States can apply.
In the United States, there are at least 46,154 structurally deficient bridges and 231,000 needing repair and preservation work, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote the bill.