The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) announced that the state is slated to receive nearly $6 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the bipartisan IIJA last week, while the Senate passed the legislation in August.
According to LaDOTD, the IIJA is the largest dedicated highway and bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. In addition, Louisiana is well positioned to compete for billions more with the Bridge Investment Program and other major projects that will deliver substantial economic benefits to communities across Louisiana.
“The IIJA is crucial for Louisiana, as it will allow the state to advance several much-needed major road and bridge projects in which funding has not yet been fully identified,” LaDOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D., President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said in a statement. “Our state’s infrastructure system is relying solely on a fuel tax that’s over 30 years old; as a result, we have a backlog of $15 billion in road and bridge repairs that will never be eliminated with the current gas tax. In recent years we’ve relied heavily on federal dollars and innovative funding methods, such as public-private partnerships, to continue investing in our aging transportation system. Not only will this act benefit infrastructure projects, but it will also greatly help our multimodal system such as our waterways, ports and rail programs. With this funding, DOTD will be able to close the gap in funding on major projects and implement more projects to help slow the backlog of growing needs."
Statewide, funding from the IIJA will be allocated to $4.8 billion to highways; $1.01 billion to bridges; $470 million to public transportation; $73 million to electric vehicle infrastructure; $179 million to airports; and $20 million to a more resilient transportation system that has the capability to recover from disruptions such as extreme weather.
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SOURCE: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
