Today marks the third year since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was passed—the largest investment in the country’s infrastructure in a generation—which has delivered $9.89 billion in transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state of Washington.
Projects in Snohomish County that have benefitted from these dollars include but are not limited to; $25 million to construct a new six-lane multimodal bridge over Interstate 5 in Lynnwood, $400,000 to the City of Everett to develop a supplemental Speed Management Plan, and a whopping $341.4 million toward the Sound Transit Link light rail expansion to Lynnwood.
In its three years since President Joe Biden signed the BIL into law, his administration has launched over 66,000 projects across the nation, repairing 196,000 miles of roads and 11,400 bridges, replacing 367,000 lead pipes, and expanding and modernizing ports and airports.
The President announced today that his administration will further be investing an additional $1.5 billion in funding for rail investments along the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily trafficked rail corridor in the U.S., supporting 800,000 trips per day, which is five times the number of passengers than all flights between Washington and New York.
“We’re doing all this with American workers and products that are made in America. These investments are creating jobs, benefitting our communities, and ushering in an infrastructure decade that is planting the seeds for a better and more prosperous future.” said U.S. President Joe Biden Friday.
Nationwide, $288 billion in BIL funds remain to be allocated by the federal government in 2025 or later.
Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), who’s catchphrase has been “you can’t have a big league economy with little league infrastructure” as of late, applauded the successful allocation of BIL funds to his district in Washington pledging that he will continue to work with state, local and Tribal leaders and stakeholders to build on these investments to create more jobs and keep people and economy moving.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, every day is infrastructure day in Northwest Washington,” said Larsen, the top Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Three years in, the BIL is delivering critical investments for local communities to create jobs and build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system. From the Lynnwood Link extension and new EV charging infrastructure at the Mount Vernon Library Commons to cleaner buses and ferries and safer roads, highways and bridges for all road users, the BIL is investing in the infrastructure Northwest Washington communities need to compete and thrive into the 2050s and beyond,” said Rep. Larsen.
Just yesterday, Thursday, November 14, Larsen’s office announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will also be awarding $18,379,375 in Port Infrastructure Improvement Program (PIDP) grant funding to the Port of Anacortes and the Lummi Nation for two projects aimed at improving and modernizing port infrastructure. The PIDP is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve the movement of goods through U.S. ports and supply chain and enhance port resiliency.
“We are grateful to Representative Rick Larsen for his continued support of Anacortes and the region’s maritime economy,” said Port of Anacortes Executive Director Brett Greenwood. “As a publicly accessible commercial dock, T-Dock is central to Anacortes’ maritime industry and plays a crucial role in supporting local workers, businesses, and the community. This investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation ensures that T-Dock will continue to drive sustained economic growth and prosperity for years to come.”
Senator Maria Cantwell (WA-D), who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, authored several of the programs used to disperse BIL grants over the past three years including national culvert removals, replacements, and restoration, air traffic facility funds, railroad crossing elimination, the Safe Streets For All program, PacNW Transmission Upgrades, and Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP).
“Washingtonians are seeing many benefits from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from a new passenger terminal at Spokane International Airport, to helping replace the outdated I-5 bridge, to billions in new energy grid upgrades, to restoring salmon habitat, to major new port investments that will boost exports and local jobs. All these historic infrastructure investments are making our economy stronger and more resilient, and should be continued regardless of the change in Administration,” said Senator Maria Cantwell.
On Thursday, November 14, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian on a call celebrating the third anniversary of the signing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while previewing $3.4 billion in new grant announcements that were officially announced today, Friday, November 15.
These latest investments include $1.2 billion in funding for 39 state DOT’s to accelerate the use of cleaner materials, $172 million for safer roads, $580 million toward funding port efficiency, and the same $1.4 billion to enhance rail along the northeast corridor which President Joe Biden praised.
Other prominent Washington projects that benefitted from the BIL include:
- $200 million to replace the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge
- $51 million to repair the Hood Canal Bridge, which allows more than 30,000 daily commuters and freight vehicles avoid a 100-mile detour around Puget Sound. The grant came from the INFRA program.
- $115 million worth of investments in rail systems across Washington state
- $65.5 million to upgrade Washington’s state’s airports
- $44.5 million to modernize WA’s port infrastructure
An interactive map detailing the highway, road, port, airport, rail, ferry, and culvert projects across the state that have received BIL funds can be found by clicking this link.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
