Flying Into The Sunset?

Remember the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)? Signed into law in 2021, it authorized $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure over five years—and those five years are coming to a close. Though there are unknowns about whether or not Congress will renew the bill by the September 30 deadline, funds remain available—and continue to be allocated for builds across the country. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding its latest round of grants, totalling $870 million for improvements at 44 airports. Read on to learn more about federally funded builds happening near you. 

Airport Infrastructure Grants

At Construction Dive, Sebastian Obando reports that “As the IIJA barrels toward its Sept. 30 expiration, funds already authorized will continue to flow even if Congress fails to pass a new replacement bill.” In the mad dash to the finish line, the FAA has awarded its fifth and final installment of $2.89 billion in funding for U.S. airports this fiscal year. 

According to Obando, via the Airport Infrastructure Grants Program, 339 awards are headed to projects in 44 states and two territories, with highlights including: 

• $289.35 million to Los Angeles International Airport for a new terminal access road 
• $50 million to Miami International Airport for the reconstruction of the terminal roof.
• $69.11 million to Denver International Airport 
• $47.89 million to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to reconstruct taxiways

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides a map of all the airport builds currently underway across the country. Many are strategically aimed at both improved functionality and sustainability. Spurred by the IIJA funding, ambitious construction at airports has had most states digging in over the past few years in efforts to ensure air travel can accommodate more people, more efficiently. Runways, baggage systems, access roads, parking garages, public transit, check in areas, air traffic control towers and terminals have all been getting attention through FAA grants. As Bryan Bedford, FAA administrator, sums up: “We’re making airports safer and more convenient for travelers across the U.S….We’re releasing grants at record speed to ensure we keep up with growing demand for travel.”

Good To Know: Projects Funded Through The IIJA?

The Department of Transportation (DOT) offers this complete list of all grant programs authorized to date through the IIJA: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Grant Programs. As the list illustrates, a tremendous range of public works has been undertaken across the country, from port modernizations and high-speed rail, to clean drinking water and nationwide broadband expansion. Among the biggest and most noteworthy projects funded by the law are:

• The Hudson Tunnel Project ($6.8B+): As part of the larger Gateway Program, this historic award represents the largest single transit grant in U.S. Department of Transportation history. It finances a new two-track rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and repairs the century-old existing tubes linking New Jersey to New York City.

• Brent Spence Bridge Corridor ($1.6B): Funded a long-awaited companion bridge over the Ohio River connecting Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, addressing one of the nation’s most severe freight bottlenecks.
• High-Speed Rail Networks ($6B+ total): Includes $3 billion for Brightline West to construct a 218-mile electrified high-speed line between Las Vegas and Southern California, alongside $3.1 billion to advance California’s Central Valley passenger corridor.
• Port of Long Beach On-Dock Rail ($283M): Upgrades the Pier B Support Facility to move cargo directly by train, speeding up freight delivery while reducing regional diesel truck emissions.
• Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program ($42.5B): The law’s flagship digital infrastructure effort, laying high-speed fiber-optic networks across unserved rural communities to bridge the digital divide.

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