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Dive brief:
- The US DOT on Thursday released $830 million for 80 projects across the country that will break ground more resistant transport systems to extreme weather such as flooding, sea-level rise and heat waves, according to a news release from the agency.
- These grants are the first of their kind dedicated to the resilience of transportation infrastructure, according to the agency. The money is expected to strengthen bridges, roads, ports, railroads, transit and other infrastructure in 37 hard-hit states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands.
- This is the latest federal effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change. President Joe Biden has allocated more than $50 billion to climate-related projects through the Jobs and Infrastructure Investments Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the release.
Diving knowledge:
Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and is causing increased damage to US transportation systems and supply chains, which were largely designed before climate impacts were considered.
“From wildfires that shut down freight rail lines in California to mudslides that shut down a highway in Colorado, from a drought that brought barge traffic to a standstill on the Mississippi River to subway flooding in New York, extreme weather, made worse by climate change, is damaging America’s transportation infrastructure, preventing people from getting where they need to go and threatening to raise the cost of goods by disrupting supply chains. supply,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the statement.
By increasing the resilience of the country’s transportation infrastructure, the investments are aimed at reducing short- and long-term costs by minimizing future maintenance and reconstruction needs, according to the statement.
Funding recipients include:
- The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota will receive $60 million to improve two sections of BIA Route 33.
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will receive $56.4 million to replace the 86-year-old Arc of Justice Bridge, crucial to emergency services during extreme flooding.
- Davis, Calif., will get nearly $24 million to install cool pavement technologies to combat the urban heat island effect and rehabilitate portions of the roadway.
- Golden, Colo., will receive $23.8 million for flood control in Lena Gulch.
- Philadelphia will receive $14 million to rehabilitate two dilapidated bridges over the Wissahickon Creek.
The newly released money comes from IIJA’s Discretionary Grants Program for Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation, which complements the PROTECT formula funding already flowing to states for this types of projects.
Subsidies come in four forms:
- $621 million in resilience building funds will be awarded to 36 recipients to improve drainage, roads and other improvement projects.
- $119 million in coastal infrastructure funding will be spread across eight projects.
- $45 million in Community Evacuation and Resilience grants will go to 10 projects.
- $45 million in planning grants will be spread across 26 projects.
