Federal Grants Totaling $4.2B Released for Mega Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that two federal grant programs will deliver over $4 billion in funding to a variety of infrastructure projects.

The National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program is investing $1.68 billion into 11 projects, and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program is investing $2.58 billion into 36 projects. Three projects in Phoenix, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois; and Providence, Rhode Island, received awards from both programs.

Funded projects include:

• $68.6 million to the Iowa Department of Transportation for the Southwest Mixmaster Interchange Reconstruction project in Des Moines, Iowa. This will replace the 60-year-old I-35/80/235 interchange – considered one of the most dangerous in Iowa – that is expected to carry 2,000 vehicles per hour by 2050. Construction will include new flyover bridges from southbound I-35/80 to eastbound I-235 and to westbound I-80.
• $336 million to the I-195 Rhode Island Washington Bridge Replacement project in Providence. The Washington Bridge North will be replaced, and the I-95 mainline will be resurfaced and restriped. The decision to replace the bridge came after several delays and reports of unsafe conditions on the bridge, which has been partially closed since 2023.
• $276 million to the I-80 East Lane Addition and Shoulder Widening in Washoe County, Nevada. I-80 will be widened from Vista Boulevard to USA Parkway between the Reno/Sparks metro area and Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. This includes an additional lane in each direction and bridge reconstruction.
• $196 million to the Michigan Department of Transportation for the River Raisin Bridge and Interstate 75 Revitalization project in Monroe County, Michigan. The bridge along I-75 will be fully replaced with a new crossing designed to accommodate future traffic, six other existing structures will be updated and replaced and two miles of roadway will be reconstructed. The River Raisin Bridge serves approximately 61,000 vehicles daily, with 25% being truck traffic.

"Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris administration is carrying out ambitious, complex transportation projects that will shape our country’s infrastructure for generations to come,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With this latest round of awards, dozens of major and much-needed projects – projects that are often difficult to fund through other means – are getting the long-awaited investments they need to move forward.” 

Thus far in the Biden administration, the two grant programs have funded 140 projects, including 35 large bridge projects and 85 highway improvement projects. For this most recent round of funding, the federal government received 200 INFRA and Mega applications requesting more than $27 billion in funding.