Department of Transportation announces $800 million for roadway safety
In 2021, the U.S. hit a 16-year high when 42,915 people died from traffic crashes in the U.S.
LEARN MOREPosted: 4:46 p.m. EDT Apr 13, 2023
The Biden administration is cutting a nearly $300 million check to fix or replace bridges across the country.
The funds announced Thursday will go toward repairs or outright replacement of more than a dozen bridges across at least four states.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other officials will visit sites in person, from I-395 going into Washington, D.C., to Wisconsin and rural South Carolina.
Bridges are a postcard issue for American infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers, which evaluates everything from the country's roads and water management to its broadband speeds, gave U.S. bridges a C grade in its last report card. The group says backlogged bridge repairs nationwide already amount to $125 billion.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients says the official blitz is all about meeting Americans where they are, and sharing the personal stakes they have in their communities.
"This is the focus of the next year-plus," Zeints told The Associated Press. "The priority is implementation, execution and communicating with the American people how this is making people's lives better."
The focus on bridge-building caps off the first phase of the administration's national infrastructure push, which has also invested in projects to protect the climate and boost high-tech manufacturing.
So far, the U.S. has allocated more than $185 billion to projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
