AASHTO Journal - FHWA Issues $800M to Support Low Carbon Materials

The Federal Highway Administration recently issued a notice of funding opportunity for $800 million in grants via its Low Carbon Transportation Materials or LCTM program to support the use of low-carbon materials and products in transportation projects – materials that specifically reduce greenhouse gas or GHG emissions.

[Above photo by FHWA]

The agency said applications for that LCTM grant funding are due by November 25.

FHWA made $1.2 billion available under this program to state departments of transportation in March and is now opening funding up to other potential applicants such as cities, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, and other federal, state and local agencies that also carry out transportation infrastructure construction activities.

[Editor’s note: In April, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency expressing concern over “low embodied carbon” construction materials are defined – especially for materials made outside of the United States.]

The agency noted in a statement that the LCTM program is one of three new programs at FHWA created by the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in July 2022.

In addition to funding the use of cleaner construction materials that reduce pollution and carbon emissions for transportation projects, the LCTM program provides resources for agencies to implement processes and coordinate with industry to quantify the emissions of construction materials.

The FHWA noted that such information should allow substantially lower carbon materials to be identified by comparing emissions to established thresholds. Funding can also be used to develop specifications for low-embodied carbon materials that ensure adequate engineering performance for appropriate use on Federal-aid projects.