US Department of Transportation (DOT) to offer $2.9 billion via 3 discretionary grant programs to support major infrastructure projects
Posted on April 4, 2022 |
- USDOT will provide $2.9 billion for infrastructure projects through three discretionary grant programs and it has issued a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (Nofo) that will make it easier to apply to one or more programs with a single application.
- Under NOFO, there are three discretionary grant programs with a common set of criteria, which are the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program (Mega), Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program (Infra), and Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural)
- Mega is created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which will support major projects that are complex for traditional funding programs and it will provide grants to regional projects which are highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail, and public transport schemes.
- USDOT will award 50% of funding to projects valued at more than $100 million and Mega is expected to receive up to $1billion in 2022.
- Infra program will receive an increase in funding of over 50% this year due to BIL and grants will be for funding highway, multimodal freight, and rail projects that improve safety, generate economic benefits, reduce congestion, enhance resiliency, and hold the greatest promise to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve freight movements.
- The Rural program is created by BIL, which will support projects that expand surface transport infrastructure in rural areas, including highway, bridge, and tunnel projects which improve freight and safety, and provide access to agricultural, commercial, transport facilities that support the economy of a rural area.
- In 2022, USDOT will award $300 million in grants through Rural, part of the $2billion included in BIL over five years.
