On June 12, the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled a $626.7 million funding opportunity through its Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program, which includes a new $200 million reserve for commercial truck parking projects and a stated priority on freight connections serving licensed spaceports.
Fiscal year 2026 truck parking funding comes from a congressional appropriation added to the existing INFRA program.
“Dedicated truck parking funding also stands out because it has been a challenge for the trucking industry for years and has real implications for both the safety and efficiency of freight transportation,” says Brian Turmail, vice president of association and industry image for the Associated General Contractors of America.
The funding opportunity notice states that the department intends to reduce fatigue-related crashes, improve supply chain fluidity and provide essential infrastructure for commercial drivers. Projects funded through the truck parking lane must be located within reasonable access of an interstate highway, the National Highway System, or the National Highway Freight Network.
Beyond truck parking funding, the USDOT also indicates a preference for larger, more financially advantageous freight projects.
For the traditional INFRA competition, the department said it will prioritize projects costing at least $150 million, those with at least 50 percent non-federal participation and those that demonstrate a high likelihood of obligating funds by Sept. 30, 2027.
The prioritization could give an advantage to larger corridor, highway and bridge projects competing for the remaining FY 2023 and FY 2024 INFRA funding. The department said the emphasis reflects that statutory small project funding requirements for these funding rounds have already been met.
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Track 1 applications are due July 1st, while Track 2 applications are due July 15th.
The FY 2026 Multimodal Highway and Freight Projects Program of National Significance, known as INFRA, will distribute funding through two tracks: Track 1 will provide $426.7 million for nationally and regionally important surface transportation projects, while Track 2 will set aside $200 million exclusively for commercial motor vehicle parking projects.
Turmail says the emphasis on freight mobility is consistent with the historic mission of the INFRA program. While the inclusion of commercial spaceports is noteworthy, “the broader focus remains on improving the movement of goods, reducing bottlenecks and supporting economic growth through strategic infrastructure investments.”
The department said the main purpose of the program remains to fund surface transportation projects of national or regional significance that improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of the movement of people and goods.
Eligible projects include highway and bridge improvements, rail and intermodal freight projects, grade separations, marine highway corridor projects, and freight-related projects on the National Multimodal Freight Network.
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Since being expanded under the Jobs and Infrastructure Investment Act, the INFRA program has become one of the federal government’s leading competitive freight infrastructure programs, supporting improvements to highways, bridges, ports, and multimodal transportation.
ENR reached out to the American Trucking Associations for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
