AASHTO Journal - USDOT Unveils ‘Great Corridors of Commerce’ Program

On August 26, the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled its new America’s Great Corridors of Commerce or AGCC program; a voluntary nationwide effort that the agency said seeks to “transform highway and rail corridors into multi-use arteries for transmission wires, fiber optic lines, water pipelines, and other vital utilities.”

[Above photo by FHWA]

By leveraging public-private partnerships, the USDOT said its AGCC initiative will give state departments of transportation and railroads the ability to lease rights-of-way or ROW – the land running alongside roads, railroad tracks, or other shared space utility tunnels – to help spur the rapid build out of critical utility infrastructure via public-private partnerships or P3s.

USDOT said its Build America Bureau will select up to five initial priority corridors, provide technical support, plus help streamline permitting and the development of P3 models.

[Editor’s note: The Build America Bureau has published a Request for Information on the proposed AGCC model and USDOT’s approach to implementing AGCC that is open for comment until September 12. It also plans to host an informational webinar on this new program on September 1.]

Sean Duffy, USDOT secretary, noted in a statement that the AGCC program will encourage ROW owners to partner with private sector “Corridor Managers” to oversee design, development, operation, and maintenance along ROW routes as using existing transportation land, instead of acquiring new private property, reduces project costs while leveraging categorical environmental exemptions to bypass lengthy federal reviews.

He added that revenues generated from utility leases will also help fund repairs and upgrades for the roads, bridges, tunnels, and railroads along those ROW corridors.

“By working with the private sector to combine our existing transportation network with transmission lines, fiber optic cables, and other critical infrastructure, we can make energy more affordable and fuel American industry for generations to come,” Duffy explained.