CINCINNATI — U.S. Senator Rob Portman announced on Friday a new infrastructure program that will benefit nationwide bridges, such as Cincinnati's Brent Spence Bridge.
The new Bridge Investment Program allows Ohio cities — as well as cities nationwide — to apply for funding for infrastructure projects aiming to "plan, replace, rehabilitate, protect and preserve some of the nation's largest bridges," per a press release about the program.
The program is a result of Portman's Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), which was signed into law last November and Portman was the lead Republican negotiator on the law.
“Today’s announcement of new funding to improve and replace our nation’s bridges is great news for Ohio and the country, all made possible through my bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Senator Portman.
The bipartisan law includes more than $33 billion in competitive grant funds — $12.5 billion of that is designated for the Bridge Investment Program.
The program, which Portman announced in Cincinnati with the Brent Spence Bridge as a backdrop, could be a helpful tool for Cincinnati projects like the Brent Spence. Portman met with the Ohio Department of Transportation, the secretary of Kentucky transportation and more to be updated on the conditions of the Brent Spence Bridge and what the joint efforts are to update and improve it.
“Also, thank you to the officials from Ohio and Kentucky who provided me with a thorough update on how they will utilize the new funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law to improve the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor," Senator Portman said. "I will continue to work with state and federal partners on both sides of the river to ensure this project comes to fruition.”
Other than the $12.5 billion in bridge funding, IIJA will provide $5 billion for the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, $7.5 billion to the RAISE grant program and $8 billion to the INFRA grant program.
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