The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it is sending $52.5 billion to states to spend on infrastructure improvements, as apportioned by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The funds will go out through the department's Federal Highway Administration, the DOT announced on its website Dec. 15. The District of Columbia will also receive funds. The $52.5 billion is a 20% increase over Fiscal Year 2020 funding, the announcement reports.
“We are committed to delivering on the promise of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and putting people to work modernizing our infrastructure and making it safer, more sustainable, and more efficient," DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in the announcement.
The funds provided by the BIL, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are to be used to start chipping away at the backlog of major repairs needed to the country's infrastructure, particularly highways and bridges, the announcement states. Communities are also encouraged to use part of the funds to create programs to reduce the number of traffic injuries and deaths.
The DOT also stated that additional funding in 2022 will include money to repair 10 of the country's "most economically significant" bridges as well as more than $15,000 smaller bridges; reconnecting communities through road removal and redesign; and encouraging a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030.
“Providing states with information on their apportioned funds today is an important first step in using the resources provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make transportation systems across the country safer and more resilient,” Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack stated.
“We look forward to working with transportation agencies and the communities they serve to use these resources to build a better America.”
