On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it had awarded more than $645 million to help rural communities complete transportation and mobility projects.
Funded through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, the awards will fund 18 projects to improve safety and accessibility, as well as generate rural economic growth, officials said.
“Rural communities face some of the toughest transportation challenges, yet are often left out of major federal investments, a pattern that we are changing that under President Biden’s leadership,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “The grants we’re announcing today will make transportation in rural communities better, safer, and more reliable.”
Rural roads face a disproportionally high rate of fatalities, officials said, and a significant proportion of rural roads and bridges are in poor condition. The money awarded through the Rural Grant program is part of the $44 billion made available to rural communities for infrastructure improvements as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Projects receiving funding include $12 million for Millen, Georgia for the Millen Rail Crossing project that will implement three grade-separated rail crossings; $59.8 million for San Juan County, New Mexico for the US 64 Corridor Improvements project that will widen and rehabilitate some 21 miles of the US 64 corridor and replace four bridges; and $27.7 million for Aroostook County, Maine to fund the Northern Maine US 1 Road Improvement Project that will reconstruct two sections of US 1 near Frenchville.
The Rural Programs is in its second year and by 2026 will have invested approximately $2 billion through 2026 for projects that improve highways, bridges, and tunnels, as well as address highway safety, bring flexible transit services to rural and Tribal areas.