U.S. DOT is Accepting Applications for Infrastructure Focused Grant Programs

Excerpt from U.S. Department of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for approximately $5.1 billion in funding for infrastructure projects of regional or national significance for three major discretionary grant programs.

The agency noted that the project application process for those three programs has been “streamlined” into the single Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program.

USDOT noted that applications for this round of discretionary grant funding will be evaluated based on how well they advance outcomes including safety, economic impact, job creation, innovation, climate benefit, and equity.

Grant Programs

The available funding broken down by respective grant programs is as follows:

• $1.7 billion for the National Infrastructure Project Assistance or “Mega” Program: The “Mega” program invests in large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits, USDOT said. Eligible projects include highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail, and public transportation projects of national or regional significance. By law, 50 percent of “Mega” grant funds are available for projects above $500 million in total cost, USDOT said, with the other 50 percent available for projects between $100 million and $500 million in total cost.
• $2.7 billion for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or “Infra” Program: The “INFRA” program awards competitive grants to multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. USDOT said projects eligible for these grants aim to improve safety, generate economic benefits, reduce congestion, enhance resiliency, and “hold the greatest promise” to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements.
• $780 million for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant or “Rural” Program: While smaller communities receive grants from a wide number of programs, the “Rural” program is dedicated specifically to projects in rural areas. Eligible projects for “Rural” grants include highway, bridge, and tunnel projects that help improve freight, safety, and provide or increase access to agricultural, commercial, energy, or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area.

Rural Surface Transportation Grant

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $645.3 million from the Rural Surface Transportation Grant or RSTG program to help communities complete transportation projects that will increase mobility, improve safety, and generate regional economic growth in rural areas of the country.

To learn more about the awards from 2023, please visit this link.

How Can the SSSBA Help?

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) provides vital connections with industry stakeholders throughout the national infrastructure network. The SSSBA has developed technical and design innovations for bridges under 140 feet that save significant time and costs for county and state bridge officials.

The SSSBA offers complimentary customized educational guest speakers/webinars and workshops (on-site or virtual) specifically for county engineers, state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and design firms. The workshops are taught by industry experts with decades of experience in the cost-effective design and construction of short span bridges.

Past workshop presentation topics include:

• Practical and Cost-Effective Steel Bridge Design
• Free Design Tools (eSPAN140 and SIMON)
• Pre-engineered Bridge Solutions
• Coating Solutions (galvanized, painted, and weathering steel)
• Innovative/Accelerated Bridge Construction Options
• Case Studies (from local counties)
• Buried Soil Steel Bridge Structure Alternatives
• Life-Cycle Analysis

For more information, please visit this link. To customize a workshop for your organization, please contact:

• Dan Snyder (Director of the SSSBA) at dsnyder@steel.org.