US$2.1 billion to improve bridges in the US

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the first round of Large Bridge Project Grants from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s competitive Bridge Investment Program.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the US state of Maryland (Photo: AdobeStock)

The program is reported to be one piece of the Administration’s largest dedicated investment in highway bridges since the construction of the Interstate highway system.

Approximately US$40 billion over five years will help repair or rebuild ten of the most economically significant bridges in the country, along with thousands of other bridges.

The FHWA stated in a press release that these grants will fund construction for four projects. Improvements to these bridges will address significant safety issues for drivers and delays in the movement of freight that currently raise costs for users. 

“Safe, modern bridges ensure that first responders can get to calls more quickly, shipments reach businesses on time, and drivers can get to where they need to go,” said Pete Buttigieg, US Transportation Secretary.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to award this historic funding to modernize large bridges that are not only pillars of our economy, but also iconic symbols of their states’ past and future.”

Every four years, the ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure assesses the infrastructure & assigns grades based on its condition & investments needed. In 2021 infrastructure in the US scored a C-, which was its best result for decades.