The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued $1.73 billion worth of grants to 127 transportation projects in various states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia in support of a variety of roadway, transit, rail, maritime, and aviation infrastructure improvements.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
USDOT issued that funding via its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD grant program, the agency noted.
“This department is investing in repairing critical roads and bridges that connect Americans to job opportunities, port infrastructure that bolsters our national security, and aviation and transit projects that move American families,” explained Sean Duffy, USDOT secretary, in a statement.
“The impact of these dollars will be felt in communities nationwide for years to come,” he said.
USDOT noted that roads and bridge projects received $1.3 billion or roughly 77 percent of the total BUILD grant funding; port infrastructure projects received $136.8 million; transit projects received $169.9 million; truck parking projects in Kentucky, Wyoming, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois received a combined total of $62 million; aviation infrastructure projects received more than $11 million; while freight and passenger rail initiatives received $87.7 million.
A host of state departments of transportation received BUILD grants to support a range of projects:
- The North Dakota Department of Transportation received $24 million to install modern pavement and address buckling, as well as 10 miles of high-tension cable guard rails to enhance safety, along I-94 east of the City of Bismarck.
- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet received two grants; one for $25 million to add new truck parking spots at seven rest areas on four major truck corridors and one for $24 million to fully replace a closed bridge over the Kentucky River along U.S. 60X/Bridge Street/St. Clair Street near Frankfort, KY.
- The Oklahoma Department of Transportation received $20 million to reconstruct a roughly 2.5-mile segment of US-69 in Muskogee, OK.
- The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities received $12.1 million to construct a partial-access signalized intersection with an at-grade pedestrian crossing at the Egan Yandukin Intersection in the City of Juneau.
- The Delaware Department of Transportation received two grants; one for $24 million to upgrade approximately 1.8 miles of Boyds Corner Road between Cedar Lane Road and US 13 in New Castle County and the other for $7 million to advance plans to final design for the replacement of Bridge 1-686: Gateway to Wilmington also in New Castle County.
- The Georgia Department of Transportation received $20.9 million to help install cellular vehicle to everything or C-V2X infrastructure, in-vehicle equipment, and 58 miles of conduit and fiber communications across the freight areas of Savannah and Brunswick, GA.
- The Hawaii Department of Transportation received $24 million to rehabilitate and replace approximately six bridges within the Hana Highway Historical District along the Island of Maui’s north and east coast with modern with seismic resilience and expanded load capacity of 40 tons.
- The Illinois Department of Transportation received $13.1 million to reconstruct and expand truck parking for the Fort Massac and Salt Kettle rest areas.
- The Iowa Department of Transportation received $24 million to convert the current at-grade signalized intersection at Iowa Highway 58 and Greenhill Road in the City of Cedar Falls into a “double-teardrop” roundabout interchange, with IA 58 passing under Greenhill Road.
- The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development received $640,000 to evaluate existing and current truck parking demand along the I-10 and I-12 corridors, assess the feasibility of expanding truck parking capacity at publicly owned locations, and develop an implementation plan.
- The Mississippi Department of Transportation received $22.1 million to construct truck parking and technology improvements along the I-10 Corridor at the Hancock County Welcome Center.
- The New York State Department of Transportation received $25 million to reconstruct approximately 1.5 miles of U.S. Route 9 along the Hudson River; a project that includes the reconstruction of four signalized intersections as roundabouts, the construction of up a nearly one mile shared-use path, and the optimization of bus stop locations.
- The South Carolina Department of Transportation received $23.5 million to replace up to 18 structurally deficient bridges across nine counties.
- The South Dakota Department of Transportation received $24 million to upgrade approximately two miles of Veterans Parkway from Sycamore Avenue to 57th Street in the City of Sioux Falls.
- The Texas Department of Transportation received $24 million to reconstruct the existing interchange at I-20/Lamesa Road in Midland, TX, and modify adjacent access ramps and traffic signalization.
- The Utah Department of Transportation received $23.5 million to fund engineering, right-of-way activities, and construction of two new underpasses and six-foot-wide sidewalks as part of the St. George 400 East and 900 South Interstate Crossings Project in the City of St. George.
- The Vermont Agency of Transportation received $19.7 million to complete improvements along approximately two miles of US Route 7 near Middlebury, VT.
- The West Virginia Department of Transportation received two grants: one for $24 million to replace the deck and barrier walls on the steel structure of the Eugene A. Carter Memorial Bridge in Charleston, WV, and the four ramps that provide access to the bridge and one for $23.5 million to construct a new limited-access, four-lane divided highway, connecting the existing Corridor H to US 48 at the state line outside of Wardensville, WV.
- The Wyoming Department of Transportation received two grants: one for $24 million to construct passing lanes and maintenance turnaround areas and rehabilitate pavement along portions of US 26 near Riverton, WY, and one for $1.4 million to complete a winter truck parking action plan prioritizing for Wyoming’s interstate system.
