Contractors inspect plans as a Florida East Coast Railway Corp. (FEC) freight train moves past the All Aboard Florida Brightline Express Intercity train station under construction in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Friday, Oct.
14, 2016. (Mark Eli U.S. transportation officials announced $2.2 billion for local infrastructure projects on Thursday, paving the way for new bridges, roads, bike lanes, railways and ports in scores of communities across the country.The competitive grants are more than double the amount awarded the previous year under the same program.
The influx comes from a $1 trillion infrastructure law backed by President Joe Biden, which provided an additional $7.5 billion over five years for the grants.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects would help modernize America's transportation systems by making communities "safer, more affordable, more accessible and more sustainable."Buttigieg traveled to Arizona to highlight projects in Phoenix and Tucson, each of which are getting the maximum $25 million.
In Phoenix, the money will help build a new bike and pedestrian bridge connecting the north and south banks of the Rio Salado trail system.In Tucson, the money will revamp a prominent street and replace a 1960s-era vehicle bridge that's in poor condition.