U.S. Department of Transportation announces $645M to update rural roadways, improving mobility and safety

Written by Andy Castillo

The U.S. Department of Transportation is investing $645.3 million to update rural roadways. The funding, which comes through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural), is intended to help communities complete transportation projects that will increase mobility, improve safety, and generate regional economic growth.

“Rural communities face some of the toughest transportation challenges, yet are often left out of major federal investments, a pattern that we are changing under President Biden’s leadership,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The grants we’re announcing today will make transportation in rural communities better, safer, and more reliable.”

According to the statement, there’s a disproportiionately higher fatality rate on rural roads, and a significant proportion are in poor condition.

In its second year, the rural program has become an integral part of the federal government’s efforts to repair and improve rural transportation systems. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made available more than $44 billion to help rural communities repair transportation infrastructure—including roads, bridges, airports, ports, and transit systems.

Applications were evaluated based on multiple criteria, including project readiness, cost-effectiveness, and whether the project supported critical goals like enhancing safety, increasing mobility and reliability, improving resiliency and restoring infrastructure to a state of good repair.

This year—from 174 applicants requesting more than $7.4 billion of the competitive $645 million in available funding this round–selected projects include $12 million for the Millen Rail Crossing in Millen, Ga. The project will implement three grade-separated rail crossings, will improve residents’ daily access to local schools, employment centers and social services. San Juan County, N.M. will receive $59.8 million for US 64 corridor improvements. The project, located entirely within the traditional lands of the Navajo Nation, will widen and rehabilitate approximately 21 miles of the road and replace four bridges. Simultaneously, fiber optic and cable and approximately 50 corrugated metal culverts along the corridor will be installed.

Oklahoma will receive $360,378 for the PICK 2.0 project, which will expand microtransit services to rural and Tribal communities by offering shared curb-to-curb on-demand rides. Another $27.7 million will go toward US 1 Road Improvement Project in Aroostook County, Maine. The funding will be used to reconstruct two sections of US 1 near Frenchville. It will primarily improve access to services, including the regional hospital and university in Fort Kent. Along with better mobility, improved stormwater runoff infrastructure will be able to withstand more frequent heavy rain events and freeze-thaw cycles, which have been degrading the pavement at an increasing rate.

For more information and to view a full list of this year’s rural grant recipients, visit the Department of Transportation’s website.