Hundreds of bridge projects secure funding in US grants programme

The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (Build) grants will support road, rail, transit and port infrastructure projects across the country.

The grants will contribute to the construction or refurbishment of over 200 bridges nationwide. Projects securing funding include the refurbishment of Brooklyn Bridge, the provison of protection against shipping collision for Delaware Memorial Bridges and the replacement of many rural structures.

Demand far exceeded available funds, with 851 eligible applications submitted, seeking a total of more than US$10.9 billion in funding.

Bridge projects receiving funding include:

• Nenana Bridge project, Alaska, US$9.1 million – construction of two permanent fixed bridges across the Nenana River and the Nenana Slough;
• Calexico East Port of Entry Bridge expansion, California, US$20 million – widening of the Calexico East Port of Entry bridge along the US-Mexico border;
• Delaware Memorial Bridges ship collision protection system, Delaware, US$22.2 million – installation of install eight 24m-diameter sheet pile cells at the bases of the Delaware Memorial Bridges;
• Cherrylane Bridge, Idaho, US$15 million – replacement of the existing one-lane, fracture-critical Cherrylane Bridge with an updated structure that meets current design standards as well as the needs of the community;
• New Buck O’Neil (US 169) Crossing, Missouri, US$25 million – replacement of the Buck O’Neil Bridge which carries US 169 over the Missouri River in Kansas City;
• Rural bridge improvement project, North Carolina, US$23 million – replacement of approximately 77 bridges in 17 rural counties;
• Brooklyn Bridge approach arches and towers rehabilitation, New York, US$25 million - restoration and rehabilitation of the masonry arches and their foundations on the Manhattan and Brooklyn approaches to the Brooklyn Bridge;
• Vermont regional freight rail corridor upgrade project, Vermont, US$20 mikkion - rehabilitation or replacement of approximately 31 rail bridges over approximately 85km of track on the Vermont Railway’s Western Corridor to support the national loading standard.