The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it has awarded $1.8 billion in grants for 148 U.S. infrastructure projects.
The grants come from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, which was expanded due to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The total amount of donations for these types of projects from the Biden administration reached 550 in total with the announcement.
The infrastructure law, which is one of President Biden’s signature legislative achievements, added $1.5 billion per year to funds already appropriated for RAISE project grants.
“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better rather than worse – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of all sizes across the country,” said the Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.
Buttigieg announced in June 2023 that the Biden administration had awarded more than $2.2 billion from the RAISE program to 162 infrastructure projects. Wednesday’s announcement comes just months before the November elections, and Biden and his surrogates are expected to promote funding for projects in both red states and blue states in the works.
The Department of Transportation has received more than $13 billion in funding requests this year and noted that demand has outstripped available funds.
The $1.8 billion awarded will fund $12 million for a project to restore about 45 miles of the Alaska Highway impacted by thawing permafrost and other climate change-related degradation and more than $23.5 million for a to replace bus fleets in Maine with electric buses.
It will also fund $25 million to rebuild a railroad crossing in California, nearly $23 million to develop roads in Florida, nearly $25 million to build a foot bridge in Pennsylvania and more than $21.2 million to rebuild a pier in Puerto Rico.
Additionally, it will fund more than $20.7 million for a project in Michigan to connect communities and more than $12 million in North Carolina to improve intersections along bus routes, among other projects.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
