transportation infrastructure projects seeing enhanced federal investment

A series of individual grant programs sponsored by the federal Department of Transportation have provided nearly $64 billion in infrastructure backing this fiscal year.

According to newly released figures from the DOT, that money has come in the form of multi-modal discretionary and formula transportation investments, along with another $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2017 discretionary funds.

The funding has been made available through such DOT initiatives as the BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant Program, offering around $1.5 billion in funding for transportation programs, more than triple the amount available during the last fiscal year.

The BUILD Transportation grants focus on investments in surface transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, rail, transit and ports.

Some $7.6 billion has been invested through the department’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program, targeting spending on projects devoted to improving aging infrastructure.

Over $3 billion has gone to airport infrastructure construction and upgrade projects through the Airport Improvement Program, which is designed to maintain and upgrade more than 3,300 airports that are a part of the national airport system.

Additional funding, to the tune of $90 million, has come through the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant program, funding pipeline safety projects; and America’s Marine Highway Grants, with $20 million in grants for capital improvements to the country’s small shipyards.

A press release from the DOT said the department remains committed to “revitalizing America’s infrastructure using federal dollars as seed money to encourage additional infrastructure investment by states, localities, and private sector partners.”

By Garry Boulard

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