Congress Deciding on Future Federal Spending in Infrastructure and Science
The House Appropriations Committee had a busy week, passing the remaining five (out of 12) appropriations bills this week, part of the process Congress goes through to create the federal budget. Here are the highlights of the bills affecting infrastructure and engineering. Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies National Science Foundation is funded at $7.3 billion, which is $133 million below FY17. However, the Appropriators ignored President Trump’s proposal to cut $$672 millio...
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $152.2 Million Loan to Riverside County Transportation Commission Toward Funding the I-15 Express Lanes Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced that the Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau (Bureau) will provide a $152.2 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), at 2.84% with a term of 35 years after substantial completion for the I-15 Express Lanes Corridor Project (Project). The Project will be built along a 14.6-mile corridor of Interstate 15 (“I-15”)...
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $290.6 Million in Infrastructure Grants to 105 Airports
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award $ 290.6 million in airport infrastructure grants to 105 airports in 38 states across the United States as part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The airport grant program funds various types of airport infrastructure projects, including runways, taxiways, and airport signage, lighting, and markings which help to create thousands of jobs. “AIP grants will all...
MDOT Refunds Bonds, Saves Taxpayers Millions
Batesville, Miss.–The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently refunded H.E.L.P (Highway Enhancement through Local Partnerships) bonds for Marshall County on the Interstate 269 project saving the taxpayers of Mississippi $3,844,769, announced Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert. Refunding is the financial practice of refinancing governmental bonds; similar to when individuals refinance their homes. Bond refunding is used to achieve savings on interest costs. “The refund...
House Panel’s 2018 USDOT Bill Would End TIGER Grants, Cut Highway Funding Authority
House appropriators advanced a 2018 Department of Transportation spending bill that would eliminate TIGER infrastructure grants, make up to $900 million available for Amtrak Gateway projects in New York City, curb other new transit project funding and strip state DOTs of $800 million in highway program contract authority. In all, the measure would cut USDOT discretionary spending by $646 million from the level Congress approved for 2017, to $17.8 billion, with cuts to transit and the TIGER gr...
FHWA Tells State DOTs How Much Contract Authority They Lose This Year in Rescission
The Federal Highway Administration informed state departments of transportation how much each is losing as of June 30 in certain categories of highway program contract authority, as Congress required in the fiscal 2017 government funding bill that it sent to President Trump on May 4. The cuts, or "rescissions" in budget parlance, range in size. The FHWA notice listed California at the high end losing nearly $89 million in contract authority, Texas taking an $85 million hit, Ohio having $41 mi...
USDOT Re-Solicits for Most 2017 FAST Act Grant Funds, Combines With 2018 Round
In an overhaul of the infrastructure grant program authorized by the five-year Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it will take new applications over the next four months for about $710 million in 2017 grants, and combine those with the 2018 round for what it estimates will add up to $1.56 billion in all. The overhaul includes new application criteria, with a strong emphasis on maximizing the use of federal grant money to draw in other funds...
U.S. Department of Transportation Launches Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant Program, Announces New Funding Opportunities
WASHINGTON - The Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal Register today. The INFRA program will make approximately $1.5 billion available to projects that are in line with the Administration’s principles to help rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure — a priority for this Administration. In addition to providing direct federal funding, the INFR...
iCON Infrastructure Closes New €1.2 Billion Fund
iCON Infrastructure is pleased to announce the first and final closing of a new €1.2 billion fund, iCON Infrastructure Partners IV, L.P. (“iCON IV"). iCON IV’s single close at its €1.2 billion hard cap comes just three months after commencing fundraising and reflects strong support for iCON’s investment strategy and recognition of the firm’s track record of outperformance and value creation. iCON IV was significantly oversubscribed, having received considerable demand above its initial €1.0 b...
Federal Airport Construction Program Funding Only Meeting 50% of Identified Needs, New Analysis Finds
WASHINGTON - A new analysis of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data finds that current airport construction funding levels are only half of what is necessary to make safety improvements and help reduce runway congestion. The analysis, conducted by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black, comes as the U.S. House and Senate are expected to debate legislation to reauthorize the FAA and the nation’s aviation programs. The FAA...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
