BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, welcomed news Friday that the Biden-Harris administration will send Maryland $81.9 million in Fiscal Year 2022, the first installment of $409.5 million over the next five years, in federal funding to repair and upgrade hundreds of bridges across Maryland. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which administers bridge funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress, this is “the largest federal investment ever” made in fixing bridges across the country. There are 273 bridges across Maryland considered in “poor condition” today.
“This federal funding is a critical component of the historic investment we are making in our nation’s infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law last year. It will enable Maryland to take significant steps to upgrade and repair bridges statewide,” said Senator Cardin. “The federal government is delivering investments to address the real impacts Marylanders have felt from outdated infrastructure—safety risks, longer commute times, higher costs, and reduced productivity. These federal funds will bring tangible improvements to every community.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration is thrilled to launch this program to fix thousands of bridges across the country – the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the Interstate highway system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Modernizing America’s bridges will help improve safety, support economic growth, and make people’s lives better in every part of the country – across rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities.”
A portion of the federal funds from the Bridge Formula Program will be directed to the needs of “off-system” bridges with no local match requirement. Typically, local communities would need to pay 20 percent of the costs, putting many repairs out of reach for smaller jurisdictions.
Today’s announcement is one component of the historic investment in Maryland’s roads and bridges under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will deliver an estimated total of $4.6 billion to the state in formula funding over five years and provide opportunities to compete for additional federal grant funding.
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