The Bridge Investment Program will provide US$12.5 billion over five years, with nearly US$2.4 billion available in the 2022 fiscal year to help plan, replace, rehabilitate, protect and preserve some of the country’s largest bridges.
US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said: “When these bridges are repaired, the American people will benefit from greater safety, lower shipping costs for consumers and maintenance costs for drivers, faster movement of goods across our supply chains, fuel savings, and precious time being returned to their day.”
The Bridge Investment Program is a competitive, discretionary initiative that focuses on the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of existing bridges across the country to reduce the overall number of bridges in poor condition. It also targets those in fair condition at risk of declining into poor condition. There are opportunities for all levels of government to be direct recipients of programme funds.
The US$12.5 billion provided by the scheme is in addition to the more than US$27 billion provided to states by the Bridge Formula Program announced earlier this year.
“These funds will make a significant contribution to improving the condition of our nation’s ageing bridges, both large, signature bridge projects that are important for our national economy as well as smaller structures that provide benefits at the regional and local levels and are critical for communities across the country,” said deputy federal highway administrator Stephanie Pollack. “FHWA has designed this programme to meet the needs of communities and bridges of all sizes, including those that are still in the planning stage.”
