More than 2,000 Missouri and Illinois transportation projects started in first year of Infrastructure and Jobs Act

By TIM ROWDEN
Editor-in-Chief

Missouri and Illinois secured funding for more than 2,000 transportation projects started in this, the first year of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to an industry group study.

• Missouri leveraged $1.2 billion in federal highway and bridge formula funds this year to help jumpstart 872 new improvement projects in communities across the state during the first year of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a review of U.S. Treasury Department data through Sept. 30 shows.
• Illinois leveraged $2 billion in federal highway and bridge formula funds in FY 2022 for 1,220 new improvement projects in communities across the state, the Treasury Department data shows.

“A key takeaway from the Treasury data is that the bipartisan infrastructure law is working in year one as intended, with state transportation departments disbursing funds and projects breaking ground,” said American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black, who prepared the report.

“The economic and quality of life benefits of the infrastructure law will become even more apparent as funding of these long-term investments will be felt by the American traveling public in their communities.”

President Joe Biden signed the IIJA into law Nov. 15, 2021. Nearly 90 percent of IIJA’s highway funds are dispersed by existing formula to states, with the remainder distributed through discretionary grant awards and other allocated programs.

Nationally, over 29,000 IIJA projects were launched. Here’s a breakdown of some of the biggest St. Louis-area projects:

MISSOURI
The five largest projects supported by formula funds in Missouri are:

• MO 51 – Replacement of Chester Bridge over Mississippi River and construction of a two-lane road– $107.5 million.
• St Louis County, I-270 – Modify interchange configuration at Riverview Blvd. in St Louis City – $37.1 million.
• MO 86, Taney County – Bridge replacement over Table Rock Lake – $32.0 million.
• St Louis County, I-55 North – Bridge rehabilitation from north of Lindbergh Blvd. to Loughborough Ave. – $28.0 million.
• Statewide Planning Funds – $25.7 million.

ILLINOIS
The five largest projects supported by formula funds in Illinois are:

• Interchange reconstruction and bridge replacement reconstruction on I-57 at I-74 Interchange – $107.5 million.
• Reconstruction, designed overlay, bridge deck overlay and repair on I-74 from US 150 W of Danville to the Vermilion River in Danville – $62.7 million.
• Pavement reconstruction and bridge repairs on I-57 from Jefferson County Line to north of Illinois 161 – $59.1 million.
• Rubblization and overlay with culvert removal and replacement and bridge deck replacement on I-70 from east of I-57 interchange to the Cumberland County Line – $46.8 million.
• Standard overlay, patching, drainage, improvements and bridge deck sealing on I-57 from south of I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) to Halstad St. – $41.8 million.

To view the full national and state project data, visit: artbahighwaydashboard.org.