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The American people are beginning to see the effects of the most transformative infrastructure investment in a generation in their communities. House Democrats have been busy touting the over $26 billion in funding to address the nation’s bridge crisis they passed as part of President Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which is funding the repair of over 15,000 American bridges.
This funding is so popular that unsurprisingly, Republican representatives who voted against the infrastructure bill are now trying to take credit for these investments.
Check out some of the headlines from across the country on Democrats’ transformative infrastructure investment:
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Bridge funding in infrastructure law on the way to states
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Iowa will receive $86.4 million for bridge repair from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Rep. Cindy Axne announced Friday.
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More than 45,000 bridges across the country are in poor condition, according to the Transportation Department.
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The department lists $26.5 billion over five years for the bridge program.
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The 2022 allotment, which the U.S. Transportation Department will begin to release Friday, is $5.3 billion.
The Kansas City Star: Bridges in Missouri and Kansas are falling apart. How much will they get to fix them?
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The money is the first tranche of hundreds of millions in federal aid for bridge repairs over the next five years — Missouri is set to receive $484 million and Kansas is set to receive $225 million — part of a larger $1.2 trillion infrastructure measure signed into law by Biden in November and backed by a bipartisan coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
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“Six of the top 10 most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Kansas are in the Third District,” Davids said. “With this new funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, we can begin to clear the backlog of repairs and ensure that all our bridges are safe and sound for years to come.”
Pottstown Mercury: Officials tout $1.6 billion in infrastructure funds for Pa. bridge projects
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“U.S. Rep Susan Wild, D-7th District, said her district in the Lehigh Valley has seen an explosion of warehouses and they have a huge impact on our roads and bridges.”
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Pennsylvania is set to receive $1.6 billion in the next five years to fix more than 3,000 bridges across the commonwealth, according to information provided by Gov. Tom Wolf’s office. In fiscal year 2022, the Keystone State will receive more than $327 million in federal funding for bridge projects.
AP: For GOP, national party line trumps bringing home the bacon
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The tally gives Iowa’s 2nd congressional district the dubious distinction of having the second-most troubled bridges in the country.
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So, it struck some Iowans as strange when the district’s Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted against a bill that would pour more than $100 million in federal money to repair and replace bridges into southwest Iowa. Miller-Meeks objected to majority Democrats’ handling of the bill, never mentioning its contents, a common refrain from the minority that overwhelmingly opposed it.
Culpeper Star Exponent: Virginia bridges to benefit from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
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America’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law keeps making it rain for Virginia. The commonwealth will receive $536.8 million from it, the largest-ever investment in its bridges, three members of the state’s congressional delegation say.
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“Such an urgent issue of public safety cannot be ignored, and this major investment in Virginia’s infrastructure must be used by VDOT and the incoming Youngkin administration to make improvements as soon as possible,” the congresswoman (Spanberger) said in a statement. “This funding will allow our commonwealth to fix bridges in poor condition, help prevent congestion, increase weight restrictions, and make our roads safer for drivers and first responders. Additionally, it will help create and sustain good-paying construction jobs throughout our area—while keeping our physical infrastructure competitive.”
KSAT: Millions in funding slated for Texas bridges, repairs
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The funding is considered the largest federal investment in bridges since the establishment of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. Bexar County has close to a thousand bridges considered in fair condition, according to a database from the Federal Highway Administration. Another seven are considered in poor condition.
Lake Powell Life: O’Halleran: A Billion Dollars for Arizona Roads & Bridges
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“Throughout the First District, hardworking Arizonans drive on some of the most dangerous roads in need of repair in our country, and families lose children trying to cross washes that need safe bridges,” said O’Halleran. “I was proud to vote in favor of our historic, bipartisan legislation to address crumbling, outdated infrastructure in our state and create new jobs that support a family in the process. I’m thrilled to see that the first rounds of funding to repair roads and bridges will soon begin to make a real difference in the lives and livelihoods of First District families.”
North Jersey.com: Hackensack bridge, in ‘poor’ condition for years, will be fixed as part of $1B state plan
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“It’s a historic, once-in-a-century package,” Gottheimer said.
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The congressman added that the close to $8 billion from the law allocated to New Jersey for highways and bridges will go a long way toward repairing infrastructure problems that he said have been ignored for decades.
Times Leader: Pennsylvania to receive $1.6B to fix bridges
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Wolf said Pennsylvania is set to receive $1.6 billion to fix more than 3,000 bridges across the commonwealth — including several in Luzerne County.
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“This is a historic investment for Pennsylvania, and for our nation,” Wolf said. “Thank you to the Biden Administration for their steadfast leadership and for their commitment to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Strong infrastructure is critical to the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians, especially strong, safe bridges. Bridges are the lifelines that connect our communities to one another, while modern, reliable infrastructure is essential for Pennsylvania-based businesses to expand.”
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U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, said the Firefighters Memorial Bridge or Water Street Bridge between Pittston and West Pittston and the I-80 bridge over the Lehigh River are expected to be on the list of bridges to be repaired..
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“These infrastructure investments are long overdue,” Cartwright said. “Repairing our crumbling bridges makes us more competitive and strengthens the foundations of our economy.”
Midland Daily News: Michigan bridges to receive $563 million in federal funds for repair
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Friday the biggest ever investment in Michigan’s bridges, which she said has been made possible by passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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The Federal Highway Administration will invest $27.5 billion over five years to build bridges and support tens of thousands of jobs nationwide, according to the Michigan governor’s office. Michigan is expected to receive $563.1 million over five years under the new program to repair or replace bridges.
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U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus. He said the federal funds will repair Michigan bridges in poor condition.
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“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering for Michigan,” Kildee said. “With this huge federal investment, we are putting Michiganders back to work repairing our state’s bridges and roads. In Congress, I voted for and helped deliver this much-needed investment to improve our infrastructure. We live in the richest country in the world; it is unacceptable that so many of our bridges are in unsafe condition.”
Miami Herald: How much will Florida receive to fix its bridges under Biden’s infrastructure law?
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Florida will receive roughly $245 million to repair and improve its bridges over five years under President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, the Department of Transportation announced Friday.
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The state has 408 bridges in poor condition, according to the agency’s 2020 National Bridge Inventory report. Florida will receive $49 million in federal aid to replace and preserve bridges during the 2022 federal fiscal year, which lasts through September.
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The Federal Highway Administration will distribute $26.5 billion to upgrade bridges in states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico over five years under the law.
Fulton Sun: Missouri to receive millions in federal bridge funding
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The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Missouri’s allocation and its formula for determining bridge funding in each state Friday.
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Like all funding to the states, Missouri’s $484.3 million will be spread across five years. It will get $96.9 million for its first allocation.
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Missouri has 2,190 bridges in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and more than 12,715 bridges in fair condition.
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The federal funds can be used to replace, rehabilitate, preserve, protect or build highway bridges in the state.
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