DETROIT– The Biden administration on Thursday awarded $830 million in grants to fund 80 projects aimed at strengthening the nation’s aging infrastructure against the damaging effects of climate change.
The money is expected to improve bridges, roads, ports, rail, transit and other infrastructure in 37 states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, especially in those states affected by increasingly common extreme weather events due to global warming.
The funds come from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021 and complement other funding already flowing to states for similar projects, the U.S. Department of Transportation said.
It is the latest of many federal efforts to address the negative effects of human-induced climate change. President Joe Biden has set aside more than $50 billion for climate-related projects through the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. He has emphasized the importance of climate resilience and adaptation as he seeks a second term.
“We have seen far too many examples of transportation infrastructure that has been shut down or damaged by extreme weather, which is more extreme and frequent in this age of climate change,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a call with reporters ahead of the announcement. . “America’s infrastructure was not built for the climate we have today, and the consequences are very real and are being felt by people in every part of the country.”
He cited events such as the California wildfires, which affected rail transportation in the state, and flooding in New York City, which hampered the city’s critical subway system. Incidents like these are getting worse, just like the global heat; March set a new monthly record for the tenth month in a row.
“Not only is this timely, it is not only a response to the science, it is not only critical to the communities that will benefit from it, it also provides a very high return on investment for public dollars,” said National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.
Funding recipients include:
–Golden, Colorado will receive $23.8 million to control flooding in Lena Gulch.
—Cedar Rapids, Iowa will receive $56.4 million to replace the 86-year-old Arc of Justice Bridge, critical to emergency responders during times of extreme flooding.
—Kalamazoo, Michigan will receive nearly $38 million to improve stormwater infrastructure.
—The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will receive $750,000 for a coastal management plan.
—The Oglala Sioux Tribe will receive $248,000 for a risk assessment of its transportation infrastructure.
The subsidies can each take one of four forms.
Planning grants totaling $45 million will be provided for 26 projects. Resilience Improvement Funds, totaling $621 million, will be awarded to 36 recipients to improve projects such as drainage, roads and other upgrades. Ten projects will receive a total of $45 million in community resiliency and evacuation grants, and eight projects will share $119 million in coastal infrastructure funding.
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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.
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