USDOT awards US$1B in grants for infrastructure projects

Infrastructure projects across the United States linked to freight and passenger networks have received almost US$1 billion in federal grants, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg indicated the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants are facilities set in place to specifically sponsor about 90 projects in 47 states as well as Washington, D.C., and Guam.

One of the grant recipients was the city of Seattle. DOT is availing about US$20 million to support plans to reconstruct a 1.1-mile stretch of the East Marginal Way roadway. It is expected that this will reduce travel time for motorists. The grant would also be used to upgrade the corridor to align with heavy-haul standards.

According to DOT, upgrades to the roadway’s freight system are part of measures intended to curb supply chain bottlenecks.

In addition, the grant will be disbursed towards adding adaptive traffic signals with advanced technology hoped to enhance safety. Ideally, the application of a complete-streets concept would better accommodations for cyclists and other users.