AASHTO Journal - Illinois DOT Offers $157M for Local Infrastructure Projects

The Illinois Department of Transportation recently made $157 million available through its Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program or ITEP to support local projects that involve biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification work, and other improvements designed to encourage safe multimodal travel.

[Above photo by Illinois DOT]

The agency noted in a statement that applications for those grants are due by October 5 and that at least 25 percent of that state funding will be used for disadvantaged and economically distressed communities. Winning applicants will be announced in early 2027.

Illinois DOT said local governments and regional planning commissions can apply directly for ITEP funds – with a maximum award of $5 million per project – while nonprofit and private entities must have a public sponsor.

Many state departments of transportation provide similar fiscal support to local transportation infrastructure projects.

For example, the Kansas Department of Transportation is accepting applications for $12 million in available funding as part of the fall 2026 round of its Cost Share Program. That program provides financial assistance to local entities for construction projects that improve safety; leveraging state funds to help both rural and urban areas improve the state’s overall transportation system. Kansas DOT noted that fiscal support is capped at $1.5 million per project and that it has disbursed nearly $170 million to support local projects since it started this program in 2019.

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Department of Transportation – in partnership with local counties, municipalities, and partner agencies – recently celebrated the completion of a project to improve 700 crosswalks across the “Lowcountry” portion of the state; part of a regional pedestrian safety initiative.

“Through continued investments in safer pedestrian infrastructure, SCDOT and its local partners are working to reduce collisions, improve accessibility, and create safer communities for everyone who travels on South Carolina’s roadways,” noted Rob Perry, SCDOT’s deputy secretary for engineering, in a statement.

In July, Governor Kay Ivey (R) issued more than $3.6 million in state funding to 11 city and county road projects across Alabama; fiscal support that comes from the second round of funding made available in 2026 under an Annual Grant Program created by the Rebuild Alabama Act and overseen by the Alabama Department of Transportation or ALDOT. Additional local road project funding will be awarded later this year, the governor’s office noted.

Of the awarded projects, cities and counties also contributed more than $1.5 million in local matching funds, ALDOT said – adding that all of those projects are required to move forward within one year after receiving Rebuild Alabama funds.

Concurrently, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently issued $11.26 million in grants via its Unpaved Roads Program to help cities and towns maintain, repair, and improve locally owned dirt and gravel roads statewide.

That program gives municipalities the flexibility to invest in equipment, design, or construction projects based on local needs, MassDOT noted in a statement – investments that ultimately help improve road conditions, enhance drainage, increase reliability, and strengthen access for residents, businesses, and emergency responders.

And the Oklahoma Transportation Commission recently approved the latest statewide County Improvements for Roads and Bridges or CIRB plan – overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation – for fiscal years 2027 to 2031, which includes nearly $950 million in scheduled upgrades to off-system county roads and bridges across the state’s 77 counties.