U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced $144 million in funding for the improvement and repair of Chicago bridges.
In the first round of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's competitive Bridge Investment Program, Illinois will receive $144 million in Large Bridge Grants from the Federal Highway Administration, according to a Jan. 4 news release. On the southside of Chicago, four lifting bridges will be rehabilitated to allow barge traffic and ship traffic to pass.
“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,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release. “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.”
Grants will be awarded for projects exceeding $100 million with a minimum grant award of $50 million and a maximum grant award of 50%, the release reported. Construction was already underway on projects awarded in the first round of grants.
“We are pleased to partner with the city of Chicago and see work get underway to modernize these bridges, which will have a real impact on the quality of life for thousands of residents and motorists traveling on either side of the Calumet River who will benefit from these improvements for decades to come," FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt said in the release.
