USDOT announces over $750m in FASTLANE grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced 18 proposed grant awards totaling $759.2 million in funding for nationally significant transportation infrastructure projects under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced 18 proposed FASTLANE grant awards totaling $759.2 million in funding for nationally significant transportation infrastructure projects under the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program.
   The program, also known as the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies, was established pursuant to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.
   The list of proposed grant recipients includes five port authorities – Georgia Ports Authority, Massachusetts Port Authority, Port of Coos Bay, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Maine Port Authority (via Maine DOT) – as well as several state transportation departments.
   The FAST Act requires DOT to notify the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee of proposed FASTLANE grant awards at least 60 days before funding can be issued.
   DOT said it conducted a thorough and fully documented review process to choose projects that will have significant regional and national impacts by reducing congestion, expanding capacity, using innovative technology, improving safety or moving freight more efficiently. The department received 212 applications requesting a total of $9.8 billion, more than 10 times the available amount, but was only able to fund a small portion of eligible applications.
   The full list of proposed FASTLANE grant awards is below.
     • Georgia Ports Authority will receive $44 million for the Port of Savannah International Multi-Modal Connector project;
     • Massachusetts Port Authority will receive $42 million for intermodal improvements and modernization at the Conley Terminal;
     • The Maine Department of Transportation will receive $7.72 million for the Maine Intermodal Port Productivity Project;
     • The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will receive $10.67 million for the Cross Harbor Freight Rail Program;
     • Port of Coos Bay, Ore. will receive $11 million for the Coos Bay Rail Line Tunnel Rehabilitation Project;
     • The Iowa Department of Transportation will receive $25.65 million for the $46.5 million Cedar Rapids Logistics Park;
     • The Florida Department of Transportation will receive $10.78 million for the Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS);
     • The Arizona Department of Transportation will receive $54 million for improvements to the Interstate-10 Phoenix to Tucson Corridor;
     • The California Department of Transportation will receive $49.28 million for the SR-11 Segment 2 and Southbound Connectors;
     • The National Park Service in Washington, DC will receive $90 million for the Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project;
     • The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will receive $60 million for the I-10 Freight CoRE;
     • The New York State Department of Transportation will receive $32 million for the I-390/I-490/Route 31 Interchange, Lyell Avenue Corridor Project;
     • The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will receive $62 million for US 69/75 Bryan County;
     • The Virginia Department of Transportation will receive $165 million for its Atlantic Gateway: Partnering to Unlock the I-95 Corridor project;
     • The City of Seattle, Wash. will receive $45 million for the South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project;
     • The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will receive $40 million for the I-39/90 Corridor Project;
     • The U.S. 95 North Corridor Access Improvement Project will receive $5.1 million;
     • And the City of Tukwila, Wash. will receive $5 million for Phase 3 of the Strander Boulevard Extension and Grade Separation.
   U.S. Secretary of Tranportation Anthony Foxx sent a letter to the heads of the House T&I Committee and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee detailing each project and the department’s justification for its selection.