U.S. DOT Awards $274 Million in Rural Surface Transportation Grants

What happened: Twelve states will receive grants to improve and expand surface transportation projects through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural), the Biden administration announced Dec. 21. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law last year provides $2 billion in funding for the grant program over five years.

Why it matters: The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) reports 13 percent of rural roads and 10 percent of off-system bridges are in poor condition. The awarded projects include:

• $25 million to Madera County, California to upgrade the Madera 41 Expressway from a two-lane highway to a four-lane expressway.
• $69 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to build a new four-lane access highway in Snyder County. The new highway will connect U.S. Route 11 to U.S. Route 15.
• $26 million to Todd County, South Dakota to rebuild and resurface 24 miles of roadway between U.S. Route 18 and U.S. Route 83. The project will allow for increased freight movement and provide improved access to surrounding towns.

See the full list of awarded projects here.

What’s next: U.S. DOT expects to announce National Infrastructure Project Assistance Grant (MEGA) awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 early next year.