DOT Announces $2.9 Billion in Grant Funding

The Transportation Department has opened up $2.9 billion in grant funding for potential freight-related projects.

The funds, which were announced March 22 by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are divided among three grants: the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (dubbed MEGA) program, the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program and the Rural Safe Transportation Grant Program (RURAL).

MEGA grants are for projects of national and regional importance, while INFRA grants will be awarded to projects that “eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements,” said the Transportation Department in a statement. Finally, RURAL grants are for projects that support rural economies.

The agency is accepting applications through May 23 for the grant funding, which stems from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. All three categories of funding cover freight options.

MEGA projects can include “multijurisdictional or regional projects of significance that may also cut across multiple modes of transportation,” according to the statement. For example, an interstate bridge or tunnel would qualify; an intrastate project, however, would qualify under RURAL.

INFRA grants will go toward addressing supply chain bottlenecks, as well as improving safety by rebuilding and modernizing the country’s infrastructure, according to the agency.

RURAL funding will benefit undertakings that “improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight,” the release notes. Eligible projects must help “provide or increase access to an agricultural, commercial, energy, or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area.”