USDOT announces $856 million in INFRA grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday announced $856 million in proposed award grants through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program.

"This significant federal investment will improve major highways, bridges, ports and railroads around the country to better connect our communities, and to enhance safety and economic growth,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a press release.

The dollars include the previously announced $125 million grant for the Maryland Department of Transportation to raise the vertical clearance of the Howard Street rail tunnel in Baltimore to enable double-stacking of shipping containers to and from the Port of Baltimore.

The Howard Street-CSX railroad tunnel project was the only rail project included among the 10 "large projects" to be awarded proposed funds. It also was among the three port projects to be awarded proposed funds.

Among the 10 "small projects" to receive proposed grants, the department announced a $10.5 million grant to the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District for the rehabilitation of a 91.3-mile continuous short-line rail corridor between McGehee, Arkansas, and Tallulah, Louisiana.

Additionally, three port-related projects — in Baltimore, Cleveland and Miami — were among the 20 INFRA grants announced. The port projects are proposed to receive grant awards totaling $142.06 million, or about 15.7 percent of the total, according to the American Association of Port Authorities. Included in that figure is the $125 million for the Howard Street rail tunnel project.

The other two port projects and their proposed funds are:
• $9 million to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to replace a bulkhead on the Cuyahoga River Ship Channel; and
• $8 million to PortMiami to rehabilitate and expand the Seabord Marine Terminal.

The USDOT proposed the grants under the INFRA program to both large and small projects. To qualify as a large project, the INFRA grant must be at least $25 million; for a small project, the grant must be at least $5 million, department officials said.

For each fiscal year of INFRA funds, 10 percent are reserved for small projects.