WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation announced more than $26.5 million in planning grants through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These planning grants, which will fund 28 projects in 18 states, will be used to create a pipeline of future bridge construction projects to improve safety, support economic competitiveness, and make the nation’s highway infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change.
“Using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to actively address the backlog of bridges needing repairs, making our roads and highways safer and our supply chains stronger,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Bridge Investment Program Planning grants we’re announcing today will provide much-needed resources to communities nationwide so they can complete the plans and studies required to move forward with important bridge projects.”
Following FHWA’s recent announcement of $5 billion in funding to repair 13 nationally significant bridge projects, today’s announcement delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise to build, repair, and replace tens of thousands of bridges nationwide. To date, $7.4 billion in funding from the Bridge Investment Program has been awarded for 78 projects in 38 states across the country.
Thanks to the bridge investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, over 10,200 bridge projects across the nation have been launched since its enactment.
“The planning grants announced today will help states and communities prepare critical bridge projects for restoration or replacement before they fall into a state of disrepair,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “By making historic investments in bridge projects that serve as a vital transportation link in communities nationwide, the Biden-Harris Administration is supporting local economies, strengthening supply chains, and promoting resilience and safety in transportation.”
The program supports projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of people’s and freight’s movement over the nation’s bridges. This includes improving the condition of bridges and reducing the number of bridges in fair or poor condition that cannot meet the transportation network’s existing or future demands.
Planning grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for projects in the early phases of project development, where eligible activities include planning, feasibility analysis, and revenue forecasting. By providing planning grants in addition to construction grants, the U.S. DOT supports the development stage of a project that could then be eligible for a future construction grant through a range of competitive grant programs. For example, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program to replace the I-5 bridge between Washington and Oregon received a Bridge Planning grant in 2022, which ultimately supported its application and award of a nearly $1.5 billion Large Bridge grant and a $600 million MEGA grant.
A spotlight of project selections in this round of grants include the following:
- The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will receive $1.9 million for planning studies to evaluate four critical bridges along the Dalton Highway and Koyukuk River to advance safety and state of good repair along this corridor. The bridges are at a heightened risk due to flooding worsened by climate change.
- The Minnesota Department of Transportation will receive $2.3 million to develop strategic management plans for seven high-priority bridges across the state’s Trunk Highway System. The plan will identify activities to improve the condition of the bridges, extend their service life, reduce the number of bridges that deteriorate to poor condition, and reduce the number of miles driven over bridges in poor condition.
- The South Carolina Department of Transportation will receive $1.6 million for a Planning and Environmental Linkages study. The study will partner with the Georgia Department of Transportation to evaluate the replacement needs for six rural bridges in fair or poor condition along the Interstate 85 corridor. It will also examine the need for additional truck parking.
The full list of all 28 awards can be found on FHWA’s website at www.fhwa.dot.gov. For more information on the Bridge Investment Program, including the planning grants and Large Bridge Project grants, please visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/bip/.
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Erica N. Guy decided to stay in her hometown to begin her professional career in journalism. Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree from UAPB, Erica has professionally written for several publications about several topics ranging from lifestyle, tech, culture, and entertainment, just to name a few. Continuing her love for her hometown, she joined our team in June 2023, where she is currently a staff writer. Her career goals include continuing storytelling through her writing by being the best professional writer she can be. In her spare time, Erica enjoys trying new foods, cozying up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, and establishing herself as a future businesswoman.
