Issue Brief 18-25
June 22, 2018
Summary 

When Congress enacted the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in 2015, it created a new, competitive grant program for major freight projects funded at $4.5 billion over five years, called the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (NSFHP) program.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) later rebranded the program as the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE), for the fiscal year (FY) 2016 round of awards. Then, in July 2017, it rebranded the program again, as the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, significantly altering the program’s goals and selection criteria.

DOT recently announced more than $1.5 billion in INFRA grant awards for projects in 23 states, awarding all FY 2018 funding, as well as $710 million from FY 2017. This Issue Brief provides details on INFRA and the recent awards.