The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration awarded $720,000 to help South Carolina determine how to replace 12 bridges in the Great Pee Dee River floodplain.
The funds are coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Bridge Investment Program, according to an Oct. 12 WBTW News 13 report. The 2022 grants include $18.4 million for 23 projects in 23 states.
"We are making the single largest dedicated investment in bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a Nov. 12 Twitter post. "One example is helping South Carolina plan for the replacement of 12 vitally important rural bridges."
"Bridges represent more than just their physical structures - they connect people and communities and make it easier to go about our daily lives," Buttigieg said, according to WBTW. "These grants will help communities across the country move forward to modernize their bridges and make it easier for people and goods to move quickly, reliably and safely to their destinations."
Planning grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for projects that are in early phases of project development, WBTW reported. The money can be used for planning, feasibility analysis and revenue forecasting. DOT can also assist in development stages of a given project that could later be eligible for a construction grant through several of competitive grant programs.
"The Bridge Planning program will help create a pipeline of bridge projects that can potentially be awarded construction grants during the implementation of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," Stephanie Pollack, FHA acting administrator, said in the WBTW report. "These planning grants were all made at the requested funding amounts for bridges that are critical to working people living in communities across the country.
"Through the Bridge Investment Program, we are helping communities as they plan to restore and replace bridges that play vital roles for the people who use them in their daily lives," Pollack added, according to WBTW. "Planning for these activities is a critical step before construction can get underway."
