The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced its new Bridge Investment Program. This is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which came into effect last year and is being lauded as the single largest dedicated investment in bridges since the construction of the Interstate highway system.

Over 45,000 bridges across the nation require replacement, with many in bad condition. These bridges frequently can exacerbate traffic issues, increase fuel consumption if detours are necessary, lengthen commuting times, and harm automobiles if there are potholes or other signs of deterioration.

This initiative will infuse $12.5 billion over the next five years into the federal government’s department of transportation (DOT). Over $2.4 billion will be available in 2022 to assist in designing, replacing, renovating, repairing, and maintaining some of the greatest bridges in the nation. The USDOT earlier this year offered more than $27 billion in formula bridge funding on top of this competitive grant program.

The USDOT will be able to fund several bridge renovation projects in communities throughout all 50 states because of this collective $40 billion investment.

The Bridge Investment Program is a competitive, discretionary program that focuses on the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of existing bridges across the country to reduce the overall number of those bridges either in poor condition or in fair condition at risk of declining into poor condition. 

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg explains that “With resources from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re thrilled to begin accepting applications for one of the most significant investments in our bridges in decades, fixing everything from America’s most economically significant bridges to smaller bridges that mean everything to a local community.” 

The FHWA will accept direct applications from metropolitan planning organizations, municipal and tribal governments, and states and federal lands management agencies, making it simpler to progress bridge projects at the local level.

White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu said that the Competitive Bridge Investment Program is crucial for enhancing supply chains, infrastructure, and the everyday life of the citizens.

This new funding is unique from previous grants in three aspects:

• Allows multi-year grant agreements to fund large projects by making it possible to take a project through preconstruction activities and into construction.
• Offers grants that help fund the planning process, including planning, feasibility analysis, and revenue forecasting associated with developing a project that would subsequently be eligible to apply for the Bridge Investment Program.
• Offers two types of construction grants, covering “large” projects over $100 million and “bridge projects” at up to $100 million.

Throughout the application process, the FHWA intends to engage the public in Zoom Webinars and participate in an array of community outreach efforts. Grantees of the Bridge Investment Program are also eligible for technical support.