Rural communities are getting a financial boost from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair roads and bridges and enhance transportation options in those regions to ensure goods and people can move around safely and effectively.
The law is providing billions of dollars for areas long overlooked for funding to target holes in the nation’s transportation system, according to an infrastructure fact sheet from the Department of Transportation.
The communities can use the funds to enhance infrastructure, spark economic growth and create jobs, according to the fact sheet.
"Infrastructure investments haven't always reached rural communities,” Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said in a tweet Thursday. “Our $25 million award to Madera 41 Expressway in California will improve access to Yosemite National Park and ensure area residents and workers can get where they are going efficiently and safely.”
Just over 6 miles of State Route 41 near Fresno, California, will expand from two lanes to four, according to the DOT. The project will include energy-efficient lighting and improved stormwater runoff capture to prevent erosion, as well as enhancements to access Yosemite National Park.
The BIL will direct $2 billion to fund competitive grants awarded to local government, Tribal governments, and planning organizations focusing on infrastructure expansion and improvement, the fact sheet stated.
