DOT Awards $759 Million in FASTLANE Transportation Grants
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced grants totaling more than $759 million to support 18 transportation infrastructure projects in 15 states and the District of Columbia.
The first round of grant awards were part of the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies program, or FASTLANE.
From 2016-2020, the FASTLANE grant program is authorized to award $4.5 billion in dedicated funding for projects of national or regional significance that address major issues facing the nation’s highways and bridges.
DOT said the grants, authorized in the 2015 FAST Act, for the first time establish broad, multiyear eligibilities for freight infrastructure, including intermodal projects.
Awards for projects in five states including Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington and Massachusetts were the focus of a Sept. 7 announcement made by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at a telephone news conference.
In all, the 18 project federal grant awards with combined with private and public contributions will support $3.6 billion in critical infrastructure investment, Foxx said.
“We know that in the next 30 years our population will grow by 70 million more people, and these new people are going to want to move around, just like the rest of us,” Foxx said. “It’s not just our private users, but it’s also our freight systems that will be taxed as well.”
“In addition, we’re expected to see a 45% increase in freight, including a 43% increase in freight truck movement on our national highway network as well.”
Some of the major projects include $165 million to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the Atlantic Gateway project to improve mobility across the Eastern seaboard; $54 million to the Arizona DOT for Interstate 10 improvements from Phoenix to Tucson; $60 million to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for I-10 freight corridor rehabilitation and expansion; $62 million to the Oklahoma DOT for U.S. 69/75 improvements; and $42 million to the Massachusetts Port Authority for Boston’s Conley Terminal Intermodal Improvements.
Other FASTLANE project grant awards include:
• SR-11 Segment 2 and Southbound Connectors California DOT and San Diego Association of Governments San Diego County, California, $49.28 million.
• Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project National Park Service and District of Columbia DOT, $90 million.
• Port of Savannah International Multi-Modal Connector, Georgia Ports Authority, Savannah, Georgia., $44 million.
• I-390/I-490/Route 31 Interchange, Lyell Avenue Corridor Project, New York State Department of Transportation; Gates, $32 million.
• South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project, Seattle, $45 million.
• I-39/90 Corridor Project; Wisconsin DOT, Janesville, $40 million.
• Truck Parking Availability Systems, Florida DOT, $10.77 million.
• Cedar Rapids Logistics Park, Iowa DOT, $25.65 million.
• U.S. 95 North Corridor Access Improvement Project, Idaho DOT, Kootenai County, $5.1 million.
• Maine Intermodal Port Productivity Project; Maine DOT, Portland, $7.71 million.
• Cross Harbor Freight Program; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Jersey City and New York, $10.67 million.
• Coos Bay Rail Line Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, Port of Coos Bay, Lane, Douglas and Coos counties, Oregon, $11 million.
• Strander Boulevard Extension and Grade Separation Phase 3, Tukwila, Washington, $5 million.
