New Federal Bridge Investment Program Seeks Project Applications

What happened: The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) announced a call for applications – known as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – for a new competitive Bridge Investment Program, calling it ‘the single largest dedicated investment in bridges since the construction of the Interstate highway system.’ The program provides $12.5 billion over five years, with almost $2.4 billion available in FY22 to help plan, replace, rehabilitate and replace some of the nation’s largest bridges. Funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is in addition to the $27 billion in formula bridge funding U.S. DOT announced earlier this year. President Biden’s Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollock made the latest announcement.

Why it matters: Some 45,000 of the nation’s bridges are rated in poor condition and act as impediments to economic growth and a functioning supply chain for the nation’s good and services. About 7,000 of the nation’s bridges are ‘travel restricted,’ Pollock said, meaning they cannot bear the weight of vehicles. The program will allow each state to target which bridges need repair, using information derived from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI) as well as through a narrative analysis about which bridges are most in need of investment. Key features of the program include:

Multi-year grant agreements for large projects to take a project through pre-construction activities and into construction.
Grants funding the planning process, including feasibility analysis and revenue forecasting associated with the development of a project that would subsequently be eligible to apply for the Bridge Investment Program.
Two types of construction grants, covering large projects over $100 million and smaller projects at up to $100 million.

What’s next: In determining the recipients of this funding, FHWA plans to conduct extensive community outreach and public engagement throughout the application process that will include a virtual webinar. Technical assistance will also be available to recipients who receive Bridge Investment Program grants. Since the enactment of the IIJA and the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations, FHWA will have made available $8.8 billion for bridge improvements under the Bridge Formula Program, the Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, and the Bridge Investment Program.