The Biden-Harris Administration evidently sees the poor shape that rural roads in America are in. Earlier this month, the USDOT announced a massive investment of $273.9 million into 12 rural transportation projects. These projects will help improve transportation in a lot of areas of the country that sorely need it.
Rural roads throughout the country are in rough shape these days. The administration noted in its announcement that rural roads have experienced a long period of disinvestment, leaving them aging, crumbling, and unsafe. From bridges to major transportation corridors, a lot of these roads need serious work. Therefore, the Biden-Harris Administration took action.
12 Projects in Rural America Will Get Funding
The USDOT had to choose projects based on a variety of factors, including their short- and long-term viability, readiness, and overall cost. It received around $10 billion in requests for funding but had to whittle that down significantly. Ultimately, it approved funding for 12 projects in this funding cycle.
The projects are spread out all over the country. The most remote project is one in rural Alaska's Bering Straits region. This region hosts a historically disadvantaged community of Alaskan natives. With funding from the USDOT, it will construct around 3.5 miles of road to connect the remote village of Wales to the rest of the state. The total cost of this project will be around $10 million.
There is one project that dwarfs all the others: a highway construction project in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. This project mostly focuses on shoring up safety in a high-risk area, especially for large trucks, like those that will have to file a 2290 form. With federal help, the Pennsylvania DOT will be able to build a new four-lane highway in the area, hopefully improving both safety and mobility in the area.
Rural America has had a raw deal from the federal government for many years. Our elected officials seem to consistently forget that these parts of the country actually exist and need federal attention. With this investment and ongoing investment from the USDOT, hopefully rural places will start to be able to pull themselves out of their hole.
