With Biden’s signature, civil engineers ready to help improve transportation

By Corey Stout 

With President Biden signing into law the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday, state and municipal agencies will begin vying for the funds that will enable them to begin planning, designing, and constructing projects to improve their communities. The law features $550 billion in new federal spending over five years for transportation programs and other infrastructure. 

These programs will improve transportation for many communities and create new job opportunities along the way. Funding includes: 

• $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major infrastructure projects 
• $66 billion for passenger and freight rail  
• $39 billion to expand public transit 
• $25 billion for airports 
• $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations 

Among other funding, the law also includes $65 billion for broadband investment, $55 billion for water infrastructure, and funds to modernize the country’s power grid.  

In my 25 years of experience as a civil engineer, I’ve witnessed firsthand both improvements in our transportation infrastructure as well as the poor state of roads and bridges that haven’t been fixed due to a lack of funding. This new legislation, however, will allow much-needed infrastructure improvements and repairs to be completed, and is being hailed by construction, engineering, and transportation groups across the country. 

In a recent ENR article, Dave Bauer, American Road & Transportation Builders Association CEO, called the legislation “the most significant measure in more than 50 years to meaningfully address the condition and performance of the U.S. transportation network.” 

Those of us at IMEG who deliver transportation services look forward to helping our clients pursue funding for these long-overdue projects and provide the engineering expertise of our civil staff across the U.S.  

Once complete, these projects will be game changers in our communities.