Federal Dollars for Improvements

State and local governments may apply for a share of up to $140 million this year for improvements to highway corridors and border facilities.

A total of $700 million is available through fiscal 2003 from the National Corridor Planning and Development Program and Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program, created by TEA 21, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

The Department of Transportation seeks proposals that would reduce travel time through crossings on the Canadian and Mexican borders and improve vehicle safety and cargo security.

Also, DOT has authority to allocate federal dollars to states and metropolitan planning organizations for work on the 43 national high priority corridors identified by Congress. DOT may select other significant corridors that have seen an increase in truck traffic since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, among other factors.