USDOT seeks applicants for latest round of INFRA funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has opened the latest round of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program, which is making available $906 million for American infrastructure investments.

The INFRA program is expected to award the funds to significant projects that support the Trump administration’s focus on infrastructure improvements as outlined in a notice of funding opportunity, USDOT officials said in a press release.

Applications are due Feb. 25.

INFRA grants are aimed at helping to rebuild the nation's aging infrastructure. The program's selection criteria looks to promote projects with national and regional economic vitality goals while leveraging non-federal funding to increase the total investment by state, local and private partners.

Additionally, the program uses incentives to encourage project sponsors to pursues strategies such as public-private partnerships.

Criteria for 2020 grants includes broadband deployment and intelligent transportation systems.

USDOT officials will award grants to large projects. For a large project, the INFRA grant must be at least $25 million; for a small project, the grant must be at least $5 million.

The department will reserve 10 percent of available funds for small projects, and award at least 25 percent to rural projects.

Eligible INFRA project costs may include reconstruction, rehabilitation, acquisition of property (including land related to the project and improvements to the land), environmental mitigation, construction contingencies, equipment acquisition and operational improvements directly related to system performance.