Investments will help rebuild eight bridges and restore two bridges across city and surrounding region

AUSTIN - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25 million in federal funding to strengthen bridge infrastructure in Austin along Interstate 90 (I-90), a critical connective point for the Austin area. These resources, provided through USDOT’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, will help rebuild eight bridges and restore two bridges along I-90. 

“Investments in our infrastructure serve as down payments on the long-term economic well-being of our state,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will reconstruct eight bridges and rehabilitate two across Austin and surrounding areas, helping reduce traffic and boosting transit connectivity. With these improved bridges, Austin residents will be able to more safely and conveniently access work, school, and more.”

“Investments in infrastructure create good-paying jobs, boost local economies, and keep our communities safe and connected to schools, jobs, local businesses, and more. I-90 serves as an important national transportation route and critical connecting point for Austin, with places like the Mayo Clinic Health System, Riverland Community College, Hormel, and countless other important services, homes, and businesses just off the Interstate,” said Smith. “This is the largest competitive grant Minnesota has received from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act so far and will ensure I-90 is safe and accessible for decades to come.”

This funding will also allow Austin to install connective ramps that integrate I-90 with the city, construct a network of accessible sidewalks and trails, and replace stormwater infrastructure. 

INFRA grants can be used by communities across the country for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight and transit mobility. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law last year, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for INFRA grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. 

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