$25M grant awarded to I-90 Austin bridge improvement project

(ABC 6 News) – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced on Thursday that the Biden-Harris administration has awarded $1.5 billion for 26 transportation projects nationwide.

The money is part of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) competitive grant program aimed to make transportation systems safer, cut down on supply chain bottlenecks, and improve freight movements.

Two of those projects will be in Minnesota. They are listed below along with INFRA grant money going toward each project:

• U.S. 212 Freight Mobility & Safety Project ($10 million)
• I-90 Austin Bridges Improvement Project ($25 million)

The I-90 Austin Bridge Project will consist of the reconstruction of 8 bridges (5 overhead structures, 2 mainline bridges and 1 pedestrian bridge) and the rehabilitation of 2 mainline bridges along I-90.

The project will include ramp connection and traffic signal improvements associated with the bridges, construction of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible multiuse sidewalks and trails, and replacement of storm water infrastructure.

Over the next five years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide approximately $8 billion for the INFRA program, including the $1.5 billion made available in this round of funding.

“Today we are announcing transformative investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, and rail to improve the way Americans get around and help lower the costs of shipping goods,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Using funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are able to support more excellent community-led projects this year than ever before.”

To learn more about the INFRA Grants Program and the other projects involved, CLICK HERE.