AASHTO Journal - USDOT Makes $1.5B Worth of BUILD Grants Available

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued a notice of funding opportunity or NOFO that makes $1.5 billion of fiscal year 2026 funding available through the agency’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD program to support infrastructure projects across the country.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

The grant application deadline from this round of funding from the BUILD program – originally established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – is February 24, 2026.

USDOT noted in a statement that, as of July, the program has awarded more than $18 billion in 18 rounds of funding to local governments, tribes, transit and port authorities, states, and other entities.

The agency noted that the evaluation criteria for BUILD grants will focus on increasing safety measures and expanding transportation options for American families, as well as projects that:

Beautify transportation infrastructure with context-appropriate design that enhances user experience while maintaining safety and operational efficiency;
Improve roadway capacity and make transportation more affordable;
Improve the travel experience for families through dedicated facilities for mothers, accessibility for those with disabilities, intuitive design elements, clear signage, intuitive layouts, and predictable operations for caregivers;
Facilitate tourism; or
Support U.S. energy dominance.

In mid-July, USDOT issued $488 million in BUILD grants to 30 infrastructure projects across the country – nine of them overseen by state departments of transportation.

The USDOT said at the time that road and bridge projects received 77 percent of those BUILD grants, with 10 percent awarded to transit upgrades to deliver safe, reliable, and accessible commuter networks.

Waterway projects received more than $35 million primarily for port improvements, with nearly $3 million in grants supporting rail networks to enhance multimodal surface transportation.

USDOT also noted that, for that particular round of BUILD grants, funding was evenly distributed between urban and rural communities, with each receiving $244 million in awards.