US Transportation Department announces finalists for $78.9 million road-project grants

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced the list of this year’s proposed FASTLANE Small Project grants.

The list was given to the authorizing committees of jurisdiction for a 60-day Congressional review period. The grants, for projects costing less than $100 million, total $78.9 million.

The FASTLANE program also called the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program was established under the FAST Act. It funds highway and freight projects that address population growth, increases global economic competitiveness, improves connectivity, reduces highway congestion, enhances infrastructure, protects the environment, and improves safety, efficiency, and reliability.

“Transportation is a key to accessing opportunity and improving our quality of life,” DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao said. “These targeted investments will assist communities in building infrastructure systems that will improve safety for the traveling public and provide increased access to greater long-term economic opportunity.”

The proposed projects are located in 10 states.

The largest projects include La Plata County, Colorado, receiving $12.3 million for the construction of an alignment of US 550, connecting with US 160; Port of Moses Lake, Grant County, Washington, receiving $9.9 million to complete the Northern Columbia Basin Rail Project; Ports of Indiana, Indiana, receiving $9.85 million for improvements to the Burns Harbor Rail & Truck Marshalling Yards.