This festive season just got merrier for the residents and motorists in Georgia. 

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the generational Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Peach State will receive more than $1.8 billion in FY 2024.

US Senator Jon Ossoff announced this funding will used by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to upgrade roads, bridges, highways, and other surface transportation systems throughout the state.

According to the White House, the state has received approximately $9.2 billion in funding through the BIL as of Oct. 31, 2023, with $6.6 billion earmarked for roads, bridges, public transportation, ports, and airports and $359 million earmarked for water infrastructure.

The state can expect a total of $9.2 billion in BIL money for roads and bridges over the next five years. The federal infrastructure expenditures have also increased construction employment across the country, with the industry adding 670,000 jobs since President Joe Biden took office. Nearly 92,500 of the jobs were in heavy construction and civil engineering.

There are no details about the split of federal funds from the senator yet, but GDOT has several infrastructure plans to receive part of the funding. GDOT's popular initiatives include the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP), which aims to connect 95% of cities in Georgia to the interstate highway system. 

Other projects on GDOT's list are the Major Mobility Investment Program, which aims to improve safe freight movement; the Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan, which aims to determine Georgia's future transportation needs; the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, and the Transportation Asset Management Program.

"Two years ago, we brought Republicans and Democrats together to do what's in the national interest and in Georgia's interest by passing the historic bipartisan infrastructure law — the most significant investment in America's infrastructure since the Eisenhower administration," said Senator Ossoff in a press release.

Sen. Ossoff added, "In Fiscal Year 2024, I am pleased to announce the bipartisan infrastructure law will deliver $1.8 billion in funding for surface transportation upgrades across the state of Georgia — upgrading roads, highways, and bridges so that they can sustain more use with less congestion, and with more safety for passengers and families who are using that infrastructure."

Over the last two years, Sen Ossoff has provided funding for several key projects, including:

1. $224 million for improving Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. $113 million for upgrading the I-285/GA-400 interchange
3. $56.8 million across DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Clayton for Highway safety improvements.

A part of the federal funding went to the south of the DeKalb Peachtree Airport, where $31.7 million was invested along SR-13/Buford Highway for pedestrian safety improvements. $30 million went to Atlanta for street safety improvements, $25 million to North Avenue in Downtown Athens for street improvements, and $19.3 million for MARTA to spend on new electric buses and charging equipment. 

Much of the funding went to other parts of Metro Atlanta & North Georgia for transportation improvements. 

The other part of the funding went to transportation improvements in Albany and Southwest Georgia, Augusta and the CSRA, Columbus & the Chattahoochee River Valley, Macon & Middle Georgia, and Savannah & Coastal Georgia.