ROADS/BRIDGES: FHWA announces state access to FAST Act funds

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued the formal apportionment notice and other documents that let states begin using funds allocated to their highway programs under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.

Although the FHWA had already issued estimates that told state departments of transportation how much to expect from the FAST Act, the agency's issuance of the formal documents clears the way for states to now begin using those funds for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

The FHWA said, the FAST Act provides $39.727 billion in federal-aid highway funding, of which the agency set aside $3.5 million for safety-related activities. That leaves $39.724 billion to be distributed to all 50 states in 2016, under the allocation formula that lets states control 92% of the FAST Act's highway funds, up from $37.798 billion last year.

The state-by-state funding allocations show how much each can spend in federal funds in seven categories that include the largest—the National Highway Performance Program—and the new category of the National Highway Freight Program.