Following the IIJA: Construction Dive’s infrastructure act news roundup

As news about the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to evolve, Construction Dive will be tracking the latest developments here each week. Read on for stories about IIJA-funded projects, airport grant audits and more.

August 2, 2022

The Federal Highway Administration announced $7.3 billion in formula funding from the IIJA to make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather like hurricanes, wildfires and floods. Eligible projects under the PROTECT Act include highway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and port facilities. (Mass Transit)
Amid this summer’s intense heat, Texas politicians are mulling whether to seek federal funding under the IIJA to help strengthen the state’s power grid. The Department of Energy has announced an initial round of $2.3 billion in grants to bolster power grids. (Spectrum News)
Michigan is planning a $110 million statewide electric vehicle charging network that’s funded through the infrastructure act. (MiBiz) Connecticut has also submitted an EV network plan. (Roads and Bridges) Pennsylvania has done the same. (Courier Express)
New York State leaders are discussing how to spend $2.6 billion from the infrastructure act to improve water infrastructure and replace lead pipes. (WGRZ)
The Department of Agriculture announced $401 million in loans and grants for rural broadband projects across 11 states. The money is part of the $2 billion the IIJA designated for rural broadband programs. (StateScoop)\
Missouri River barge services could help the country strengthen its supply chain. Although this method of shipping has been underutilized in recent decades, it’s getting a boost from the infrastructure act, which has funding to fix ports, dikes and other infrastructure that makes the river navigable. (News Tribune)

June 26, 2022

Most cities plan to use their share of IIJA funding for roads, bridges and water projects, according to a National League of Cities and Polco survey, and will prioritize motor vehicle infrastructure over projects like transit, airports and railways. (Bloomberg)
The Federal Transit Administration issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $343 million in grants through the All Stations Accessibility Program, a new program created through the IIJA to improve accessibility at older, non-ADA compliant rail stations. ASAP will provide $1.75 billion over the next five years. (Mass Transit)
On July 21, the Biden administration announced an effort to help state and local governments modernize their building codes to make structures more energy-efficient. The Department of Energy initiative is funded through $225 million in infrastructure act grants. (American Independent)
California allocated more than $3 billion to repair and improve transportation infrastructure, including $1.3 billion from the infrastructure act. The funds will support local projects and protect roads and bridges from extreme weather. (Triplicate)
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has introduced legislation that seeks to roll back recently enacted National Environmental Policy Act rules, which Sullivan said undermine provisions of the IIJA intended to streamline the federal permitting process. It would also reinstate the Trump administration’s 2020 NEPA regulations. (Transportation Today)

July 19, 2022

Inflation has hurt the impact of the extra $66 million in bridge and highway funding Maine received through the IIJA. MaineDOT rejected nearly $28 million in work, roughly 10% of its annual budget, which went over budget due to rising costs. (Roads and Bridges)
Massachusetts is set to receive more than $9.5 billion from the infrastructure act over the next five years. The money will be used to shore up public transit and sewers, modernize airports and for incentives to switch to electric vehicles. (Roads and Bridges)
Wisconsin will get $841 million to improve water infrastructure, including $48 million next year to eliminate lead pipes that can contaminate drinking water. (WPR)
The EPA recently released a webpage with resources to help states and water systems implement the IIJA. (Water Finance & Management) The agency is also collecting public input to inform the parameters it’s developing for new waste and recycling grants funded by the infrastructure act. (Waste Dive)
Construction of the $364.3 million Barrow Alaska Coastal Erosion Project in Utqiaġvik was fully funded via the infrastructure act. A contract to build the seawall is expected to be awarded within a year. (Anchorage Daily News)
Chicago officials are calling on the Biden administration to approve IIJA grants to fund the $418 million overhaul of Union Station, as well as construction on I-290 and the Forest Park branch of the CTA Blue Line, which would speed up travel. (Chicago Tribune)

July 12, 2022

The Department of Energy has opened the application period for $2.3 billion in federal funding for projects that strengthen or modernize the energy grid. (Utility Dive)
The application process for IIJA funds is onerous and needs to evolve, policy experts say. Without major updates at the federal and state levels, infrastructure act money will go to communities best at navigating the system, not those most in need. (Brookings)
All 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico received Alternative Fuel Corridor designations that will serve as the backbone for a national electric vehicle charging network, DOT announced July 7. The IIJA contains $5 billion to build out EV chargers along these corridors. (Roads and Bridges)
Reconnecting Communities, a $1 billion IIJA-funded pilot program for planning and construction, seeks to undo harm from past development of highways and other infrastructure that divided and destroyed Black and Brown neighborhoods. (Governing)
Key deadlines are approaching for entities that want to apply for some of the $65 billion in federal funding available for broadband-related programs. (Route-Fifty)
The Federal Transit Administration issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for three IIJA grant programs, worth a combined $294 million, which aim to expand ferry services and transition the country to low-emission water transportation. (Mass Transit)
Infrastructure act funding is speeding up bridge and road projects in Pennsylvania, local transportation officials said. (WFMZ-TV)

July 5, 2022

Madison, Wisconsin, is getting an upgrade to its water treatment system following the city’s award of a large contract to AECOM, partially funded by the IIJA. (The Construction Index)
The Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Transportation are performing an IIJA-funded audit that will assess climate and weather resiliency plans for airport grant projects. The audit will begin later this month at Federal Aviation Administration headquarters. (Homeland Security Today)
Louisiana is looking for $600 million to build a new Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River at Lake Charles. The bridge is expected to cost at least $1.5 billion and will be funded in part by the infrastructure act. (American Press)
The Ohio Department of Transportation is looking to federal funds to get moving on two projects in the Cincinnati area, the Western Hills Viaduct and the Brent Spence Bridge. For the two projects, the Ohio DOT is asking for $1.6 billion, at least some of which could come from the IIJA. (Roads & Bridges)

June 28, 2022

A dearth of workers in the construction industry is making it harder for builders to find the labor they need, and this dynamic has only been exacerbated as IIJA-funded projects launch. That could delay or stall these efforts. (Washington Examiner)
EPA announced on Friday the programs that fall under Justice40 initiative, which aims to direct 40% of infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities. (Roads and Bridges)
Michigan is directing $1.9 billion this fiscal year for water infrastructure upgrades to protect the environment and public health. (Water World)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went on 60 Minutes last week to discuss how the infrastructure act will impact citizens in urban and rural areas. (CBS News)

June 21, 2022

Inflation is sapping the power of the infrastructure act, builders say. Prices for construction materials are skyrocketing along with the cost of building infrastructure, leading state and local leaders to postpone or scale back projects. (AP News) (Politico)
The White House on Friday launched a talent pipeline challenge to support employer investments in equitable workforce development for infrastructure jobs. (White House) Here are some strategies to do just that. (Route Fifty)
Iowa’s plans for road upgrades get a big boost from infrastructure act funds. The state will receive $5 billion, with $3.4 billion for highways and $432 million for bridge replacement and repairs. (Roads and Bridges)
The Army Corps of Engineers will soon launch a low interest federal loan program to rehabilitate ailing dams. (ENR)
Texas plans to install electric vehicle charging stations every 50 miles along most interstate routes with $408 million in funding from the IIJA. (Texas Tribune)
Vice President Kamala Harris touted the infrastructure act during a recent Pittsburgh visit, and spoke with local leaders about how it could replace lead water lines in the region. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

June 14, 2022

Applications for $12.5 billion over five years in bridge grants opened on June 10, on top of the $27 billion in bridge funding USDOT announced earlier this year. The Bridge Investment Program makes $2.4 billion available in fiscal year 2022 to help replace and rehabilitate bridges. (Roads and Bridges)
Soon states, local governments and private entities will have the opportunity to apply for $7 billion in federally backed loans to repair aging dams. The IIJA has created the new grant program, which is expected to open next year. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
It will likely be difficult to find workers with the skills to fill construction jobs created by the infrastructure act, some experts say. (Governing)
Iowa will receive about $5 billion from the IIJA, with $3.4 billion for highways and $432 million for bridge projects. State leaders say the nearly 30% boost in transportation funding will allow it to complete more road projects. (Iowa Starting Line)
Montana will also receive billions from the act, $23 million of which it plans to use for wildfire protection and to rebuild infrastructure destroyed in past blazes. (Montana Right Now)

June 7, 2022

The White House has assigned watchdogs in each of its departments that are implementing the IIJA to discourage waste and fraud, and to ensure the funds are spent as they’re supposed to. (Spectrum News)
In order to boost supply chains and passenger rail service, the Federal Railroad Administration on June 1 announced over $368 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program funds to 46 projects in 32 states and Washington, D.C. (Virginia Mercury)
Hawaii is set to receive around $2.5 billion over the next five years for transportation projects. The largest portion, about $1.2 billion, is set aside for state highways. It will also fund traffic safety upgrades and bridge repairs. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
The infrastructure act reinstates Superfund chemical excise taxes to fund hazardous materials cleanup at polluted sites. The taxes, which had expired in 1995, will apply to certain chemicals starting on July 1 of this year and will last through December 31, 2031. (JD Supra)
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a directive to streamline the permitting process for state infrastructure projects that cost $50 million or more in an effort to take full advantage of IIJA funds. (ENR)
Baltimore has appointed an infrastructure czar to help the city decide how to spend funds from the act. (CBS Baltimore)

May 31, 2022

The DOT issued a 180-day temporary waiver Wednesday for some of the IIJA’s “Buy America” requirements for construction materials. The waiver applies to certain items like gravel, glass, lumber, drywall and more. It expires on Nov. 10. (Transport Topics)
Consulting firm McKinsey has released a free online tool to help users explore the infrastructure act’s myriad programs and funding opportunities. The navigator can sort programs by federal department, program, deadline, asset class and funding type. (Government Technology)
The IIJA is driving digitization in construction management, as state and local government agencies turn to digital workflows, common data environments and BIM to manage new infrastructure projects and funding. (GCN)
Retired Army General Stephen Lyons is the country’s new “Ports Czar,” officially Port and Supply Chain Envoy in the DOT, amid record funding from the IIJA for marine highways and the Port Infrastructure Development Program. Lyons will work with the White House National Economic Council, ports, rail, trucking and other private entities to address supply chain disruptions. (Seatrade Maritime News)
Work began today on a $304 million highway project near the Las Vegas strip, which includes a new bridge and HOV ramps. The Tropicana Avenue-Interstate 15 interchange overhaul is partly funded by the IIJA. (Fox 5 TV)
The EPA today announced $154 million to improve water infrastructure for tribes and Alaska Native villages. (EPA)
The Department of the Interior released $33 million to plug orphaned oil and gas wells on public lands. In total, there’s $250 million in the IIJA designated to remediate abandoned mine sites. (RigZone)

May 24, 2022

The White House released another guide Wednesday to help infrastructure act grant applicants. The technical assistance guide includes input from philanthropic, labor and nonprofit organizations, and highlights programs to help users navigate the law’s programs and resources. (White House)
The Department of Energy said Monday it will use some of the $62 billion it received from the infrastructure act to hire up to 1,000 new staff and fund at least 21 new clean energy projects this summer, including solar, marine and hydropower energy and hydrogen hubs. (E&E News)
The IIJA has a provision that allows localities to do targeted hiring of locals and people from certain marginalized groups. Its supporters say the measure is critical to boost the number of people of color, women and low-income Americans who benefit from the law. (MarketWatch)
Wisconsin will get $5.2 billion to rehabilitate highways, $500 million to improve public transportation and $225 million to address failing bridges, as well as $841 million over five years to fix drinking water infrastructure. (WXPR)
Ohio lawmakers on Wednesday approved nearly $700 million in federal transportation funding for highways, transit and renovation of the obsolete Brent Spence Bridge in Cincinnati. (Cleveland.com)
Albright, West Virginia, will receive $1 million to remove the dam on the Cheat River, which has outlived its purpose. It’s one of 40 National Fish Passage program projects in 28 states funded with nearly $38 million this fiscal year. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

May 17, 2022

Six months after the infrastructure law passed, the White House said there are 4,300 projects in the pipeline and more than $110 billion in funding has been announced. This fiscal year $52.5 billion went to federal highways and $20.5 billion to transit while bridges, rural roads, airports and marine ports got billions more. (AP News)
The EPA on Friday announced an additional $1.9 billion in State Revolving Funds to accelerate water infrastructure projects in 2022. The money can be used to modernize aging wastewater infrastructure, for water reuse and recycling, and stormwater projects. (Water World)
On Monday the DOT opened the application process for $1 billion in grants for street safety projects that help prevent traffic deaths and injuries. (Mass Transit)
The EPA on Thursday awarded $254.5 million in brownfield grants to 265 communities to help them clean up sites which contain pollutants and hazardous substances such as asbestos or lead. There are 450,000 such sites across the U.S., per the EPA. (CNN)
On Friday the DOT’s Federal Rail Administration created a new Corridor Identification and Development program to transform the U.S. passenger rail system. The program will establish a pipeline of rail projects ready for funding in an effort to get them finished faster. (DOT)
Georgia will get $8.9 billion for highway construction and $1.4 billion for public transportation over five years. Atlanta just received $45 million; the city plans to spend it on charging stations for electric vehicles, road-widening, gas-powered buses and transit projects. (Roads and Bridges)
Local governments and transportation agencies must come up with funds to match the infrastructure act’s $40 billion for transit projects. This could be a challenge, as many transit agencies have seen ridership and fare revenue plummet with the pandemic. (Governing)
The federal government plans to hire about 8,000 people to implement the IIJA, including contracting officers, grants managers and data scientists, according to a White House Office of Management and Budget memo. (Logistics Management)

May 10, 2022

The DOT’s Maritime Administration announced Monday that up to $684.3 million is now available for Port Infrastructure Development Program grants, $450 million of which is from the infrastructure act. The grants aim to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of the movement of goods around a port. This is a record amount of annual funding for the PIDP program. (MarineLink)
Mountain communities hope the infrastructure act will fund abandoned mine cleanup and other restoration efforts, and create green jobs in the process. The IIJA contains $11.3 billion for abandoned mine reclamation. (Ohio Valley Resource)
The Department of Energy announced last week a $2.25 billion effort to accelerate carbon capture technologies. It wants to build geologic carbon storage projects capable of storing at least 50 million metric tons of captured CO2. (Daily Energy Insider)
The IIJA already allocated $1.1 billion for South Florida ecosystem projects, and Floridians hope they will receive more federal funds for the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir. (TCPalm)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttegieg highlighted the benefits of the IIJA in Cleveland on Thursday and toured a downtown transit hub. (Cleveland 19 News)

May 3, 2022

The White House released new guidance on Friday on how agencies can ensure “accountability, effectiveness and transparency” in implementing the infrastructure act. It provides direction on using data to design programs, reporting on awards, collaborating with various levels of government and more. (Government Executive)
$6.4 billion is heading to states over five years to reduce carbon emissions through infrastructure projects, the Federal Highway Administration announced. The Carbon Reduction Program funds public transportation corridors, low-carbon pavement and more. (Equipment World)
The Department of Labor has released a compliance toolkit to help construction workers understand their rights and inform employers about their legal obligations. It also launched a website to help contractors understand Davis-Bacon Act worker protections for projects created by the infrastructure act. (Department of Labor)
Pennsylvania transit systems are set to get $690 million from the IIJA, though inflation, high gas prices and rising health insurance costs for workers are eating away at its potential impact. (WESA)
Maryland and other area states have received the first batch of funds for Chesapeake Bay restoration via the EPA. The act includes $238 million over the next five years for the effort. (Maryland Matters)
Wisconsin Republicans have blocked infrastructure act funds from being used for bicycle, pedestrian and trail projects. (Planetizen)
On Monday the Department of Energy announced $3.16 billion to boost domestic battery manufacturing and recycling in an effort to support the transition to electric vehicles. (Electrek)
The FAA is investing $1 billion, the first of a $5 billion sum, to update air traffic control systems. It will be used to repair or replace hundreds of buildings and equipment. (Transportation Today

April 26, 2022

The Federal Highway Administration announced the Carbon Reduction Program Thursday, which unlocks $6.4 billion in formula funding for states and localities over five years to help them develop carbon reduction strategies and build bus and bike infrastructure, EV charging capacity and more. (FHWA)
AECOM has expanded its Digital AECOM offering to help U.S. clients compete for infrastructure act funding and meet the grant requirements and federal Justice40 Initiative commitments. (Financial Post)
Flush with IIJA money, the federal pot of funding for surface transportation has grown significantly for FY 2022 and will likely climb in 2023. (Construction Equipment Guide)
How will we know if the infrastructure act is working? Several experts gave their take on how the rollout is going and how to best measure its efficacy. (Protocol)
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is preparing for New York City to receive an influx of infrastructure act money. A city official said the law funds more than 350 programs, including many new ones. (Gotham Gazette)
The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the city’s first project to receive money from the IIJA, and will cover $194 million for construction of the $260 million cross-field taxiway linking the north and south airfields. (AZ Big Media)
President Joe Biden drummed up enthusiasm about the law in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, highlighting funds for airport upgrades in particular. Oregon is expected to receive about $4.5 billion over the next five years. (Statesman Journal)

April 19, 2022

The Department of Energy is looking for public input on how to improve building energy codes with $225 million in IIJA funds, with the goal of driving more efficient and resilient buildings. (DOE)
Flood-prone cities on the Gulf Coast and along the Mississippi River are eager to receive infrastructure act funds to fortify locks, levees and more. However, small cities fear missing out on the federal help. (Associated Press)
Louisiana will get another $82 million this year to improve bridges. (Shreveport Times) That’s in addition to the $202 million it was already set to receive from the IIJA. (The Advocate)
South Carolina will get $71 million to improve transit. (WIS-10 TV)
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent the DOT a 30-page paper with suggestions on how to implement the infrastructure act, and reiterated their willingness to partner with the agency. (Roads & Bridges)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited Tell City, Indiana, last Wednesday to hype bridge and pier upgrades possible through the IIJA. (Courier Press) He also discussed the short- and long-term impacts of the legislation, and pitfalls to implementation such as supply chain backlogs and inflation. (KMPH)
President Joe Biden talked about fixing roads and bridges while promoting the act in Enlo, Iowa, last Tuesday. (Iowa Agriculture Business Radio Network) Today he plans to discuss supply chains and more in New Hampshire. (Press Herald)

April 12, 2022

USDOT will receive $20 billion to shore up and modernize transit in 2022, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. This represents a 58% increase over the agency’s 2021 budget, and is broken up into several buckets. (Transportation Today)
The Biden administration launched a tour of Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Washington and West Virginia on Monday in an effort to promote infrastructure in rural areas. It also released the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook, which breaks down funding opportunities for state, local and tribal governments. (Roads and Bridges)
Some state officials and environmental advocates are concerned that the EPA is disbursing money for lead pipe removal based on an outdated study that doesn’t consider how many dangerous pipes each state has, which could shortchange areas that need assistance. (Route-Fifty)
Amtrak’s Office of the Inspector General identified four key challenges in the agency’s effort to modernize and expand service: demonstrating fiscal responsibility, finding enough workers to carry out projects, collaborating effectively with partners and improving project and program management. Amtrak is set to receive at least $22 billion from the IIJA. (Railway Age)
Ohio is set to receive $1 billion in transit formula funding over the next five years, $259 million of which has been released for this year. Sen. Sherrod Brown said he wants some of the money to improve the state’s large bridges. (The Courier)
The Little Rock District of the Army Corps of Engineers will receive $168.5 million for its civil works program to fund upkeep of Arkansas' parks, reservoirs and navigation systems, as well as flood control efforts. (THV 11)
New Hampshire is getting $24.3 million to modernize and expand public bus and rail service. (The Laconia Daily Sun)

April 5, 2022

The infrastructure law has nearly doubled funding for the FHWA’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program — from $850 million annually to an average yearly sum of $1.44 billion over five years — for projects like pedestrian and bicycle facilities and other local initiatives. (Roads and Bridges)
A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to clean up abandoned mine water pollution. The STREAM Act would allow states and tribes to set aside a portion of the abandoned mine land funding from the IIJA to treat acid mine drainage specifically. (Times Leader)
Michigan is investing $4.7 billion to improve infrastructure, $4 billion of which is coming from the infrastructure act. The funds will go toward drinking water upgrades, improving internet access and repairing roads, bridges and dams. (Great Lakes Now)
The Department of the Interior announced $420 million in FY 2022 for rural water projects such as pump systems, pipeline connections, reservoirs and water treatment plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota. (Water World)
The Denver-area South Platte River Project will receive $350 million to bring hundreds of local families and some businesses out of a floodplain. The funds are coming through the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and will help expand and repair 450 acres of ecosystems along the river that have been eroded over time. (KDVR)
Three local rural water projects in Montana will be receiving a total of $101.5 million, per the DOI. (Hi-Line Today)
The Pittsburgh district Army Corps of Engineers received $77 million to repair the Emsworth Locks and Dam on the Ohio River. This is in addition to the $881.9 million awarded through the IIJA in January. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

March 29, 2022

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Wednesday $2.9 billion in new competitive grants which can be used for road, bridge and freight projects. Localities can apply to the three separate programs with a single form. (CNBC)
California’s B.F. Sisk Dam is the first dam safety project to receive money from the infrastructure act. The $100 million will help stabilize the dam against earthquakes in an effort to protect people living downstream. (Sierra Sun Times)
The Biden administration announced a new $60 million grant initiative to assist flood-prone homeowners in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, opening April 1. FEMA is managing the Swift Current initiative, which can be used for retrofits or relocating. (CNN)
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) received $95 million in funding for FY 2022, and expects to receive $500 million over the five-year lifetime of the law. The money will go toward infrastructure repairs and will accelerate station accessibility improvements. (Progressive Railroading)
New Mexico is set to receive $19 million to clean up industrial waste at the Eagle Picher Battery Superfund site. Of the sum, $3 million is for soil excavation and building demolition, and $16 million is designated to treat contaminated groundwater. (Albuquerque Journal)
USDOT would receive $37 billion in guaranteed advanced appropriations under President Joe Biden's FY 2023 budget proposal. If passed, the money would be used to shore up the nation’s ports, rail and other transit, and to expand existing and fund new grant programs. (Progressive Railroading)

March 22, 2022

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Palm Beach, Florida, to talk about the need to repair aging infrastructure and promote the IIJA. She spoke near the George Bush drawbridge, which has been stuck in the open position since March 3. (CBS 12)
The San Antonio International Airport will receive more than $50 million from the IIJA over the next five years to expand its capacity. The funds will go toward a baggage handling system, additional gates and a new terminal, the airport director said. (KENS 5)
Montana will receive nearly $43 million through the infrastructure act to build out its electric vehicle charging network. The funding will initially be limited to highways that the FHWA has designated as Alternative Fuel Corridors. (KULR 8)
The IIJA includes funds for highway removal and repurposing excess roadway capacity, including $1 billion specifically targeted to “reconnect neighborhoods cut off by historic investments.” City planners have ideas for how to spend the money. (Planetizen)
The federal government released $1.15 billion from the infrastructure act to help states close unused oil and gas wells that release pollution and greenhouse gases. Overall, there’s $4.7 billion available over nine years to address orphan wells. (ABC News)

March 15, 2022

Maine plans to use more than $150 million from the IIJA to modernize five land ports of entry along its border with Canada. The upgrades include new buildings and inspection facilities and improvements to traffic flow. (AP News)
President Joe Biden hoped the infrastructure act would fund sustainable efforts like transit and climate adaptation, but governors and state DOTs have a lot of say in how the money is spent — and highway projects are still a priority. (Wall Street Journal)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went on 60 Minutes to talk about the IIJA and the future of American infrastructure with Anderson Cooper. (CBS News)
There’s a lot of work that has to happen to get infrastructure act funds to municipalities that need it, and rural and underserved communities often lack the staff and expertise to go after it. (Arizona Public Media)
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will receive about $500 million in additional capital funding over five years from the infrastructure act. (The Reporter)
New York approved $725 million to help 13 municipalities advance critical water infrastructure projects, such as replacing lead pipes and improving wastewater treatment facilities. Some of the funds are from the IIJA. (New York State Governor’s Office)

March 8, 2022

The U.S. departments of labor and transportation announced a partnership on March 7 to promote infrastructure jobs for underrepresented workers using IIJA funds. (U.S. Department of Labor)
President Joe Biden spoke at UW-Superior about the expected impact of the IIJA for Wisconsin and Minnesota, including repairs for aging highways and bridges. Biden also stopped to speak with construction workers near Blatnik Bridge. (The Daily Cardinal)
Provisions in the IIJA will alleviate supply chain bottlenecks and assist the economy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told a Senate panel last week. (Transport Topics)
Top Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the White House demanding greater transparency regarding its management of the IIJA. (Washington Times)
Corn Belt ports in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa will receive $1.24B in IIJA funds recently released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Muddy River News)

March 1, 2022

States and local communities are ramping up plans to spend the billions of dollars in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed last year. Here's what the law has done so far. (CNN)
Arizona is set to receive at least $315 million from the IIJA for improvements to three ports of entry along the Mexican border to ease trade and improve border security. (Phoenix Business Journal)
President Joe Biden's push to expand internet service by treating broadband more like a public utility is on a collision course with laws in 17 states. (Route Fifty)
Ohio and Kentucky ask the federal government for $2 billion to fix and replace a bridge that became a symbol during the debate over the infrastructure act. (Associated Press)
Minnesota and Wisconsin DOTs look to replace the aging bridge that crosses the St. Louis River, and hope infrastructure act funds can help. President Biden will visit Superior, Wisconsin on Wednesday to promote the law. (WPR)
For Pennsylvania and other states, money from the infrastructure act won’t come free — localities will likely need to financially contribute to projects as well. (WLVR)