USDOT awards $426 million for 12 freight-bottleneck projects in 12 states

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Oct. 1 that it is awarding $426 million through its Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant program to 12 infrastructure projects across 12 states, with the money aimed at cutting freight bottlenecks, adding highway capacity and improving heavily traveled truck routes.

The biggest single award is $85 million for the Florida Department of Transportation to build a general-use lane in each direction along about 20 miles of Interstate 4 between State Road 434 and State Road 472 in Seminole and Volusia counties. The project is designed to expand freight capacity and relieve bottleneck congestion on one of Florida's busiest corridors.

Other awards include $53.50 million for the City of Wichita and the Kansas Department of Transportation to rebuild and widen about 2.5 miles of K-96 from four to six lanes — a stretch the state ranks as its top freight bottleneck and a bypass expected to serve roughly 5,000 trucks a day. Louisiana's Lafayette City-Parish government gets $28 million to turn a signalized intersection into a grade-separated interchange along Kaliste Saloom Road and US-90, eliminating a bottleneck ranked among the top 100 in the country. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority receives $25 million to convert a congested four-lane expressway into an eight-lane freeway, targeting a corridor whose collision rate runs 30% above the statewide average. The City of Savannah, Georgia, gets $11.30 million for a new connector from Interstate 516 that also adds storm culverts along a hurricane evacuation and port logistics route.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the investments are meant to modernize aging freight infrastructure, expand highway capacity and strengthen supply chains. The Oct. 1 announcement names the winning projects; each will move through its own development and construction schedule.