WASHINGTON — In the Pacific Northwest, the aging Interstate 5 bridge, a main artery between Oregon and Washington, is at risk of collapsing in a major earthquake. Across Appalachia, abandoned coal mines leaking toxic pollutants are a threat to public health. Louisiana, along the Gulf Coast is forced to look at novel evacuation routes to alleviate traffic congestion on inland highways that are often blocked by hurricanes.
These and other challenges have been brought into focus by state leaders and transit officials, as the House prepares to approve a $1 trillion infrastructure package that is uncertain in the future.
Since years, officials have had the difficult task of balancing a massive backlog in repairs and upgrades to roads, bridges, and highways with more ambitious, long-term projects. But an infusion of nearly $600 billion in new federal aid could change that calculus as states are freed to consider more ambitious ideas that align with President Biden’s vision for a generational overhaul of the country’s aging public works system.
Still, even as lawmakers in both parties agree that such money is gravely overdue, the measure’s fate is in limbo as the liberal and moderate flanks of the Democratic Party have clashed over whether to pass the bill before a $3.5 trillion spending plan. House Republican leaders also called on their members to reject the package.
Ahead of the vote, expected in the House on Monday, The New York Times asked congressional offices, governor’s offices and state transit officials across the country what projects federal funding could help accelerate. A number of state officials declined comment because they were concerned about the possibility of discussing a $1 trillion plan for infrastructure before the vote. Others stated that they hoped federal funding could accelerate long-term projects that are already in progress or help to kick-start projects that aim to improve transit and other infrastructure.
These are the most important and consequential priorities.
Alaska | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Louisiana | Michigan | Minnesota | New Jersey | Oregon | Rhode Island | Virginia | West Virginia | Wyoming
Alaska
Ferries — Colorado Marine Highway System
Because Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, was a core member of the bipartisan group of senators who helped negotiate the bill, the legislation includes multiple projects meant to benefit the state’s ferry system.
250 million has been allocated for a pilot program that will develop an electric ferry or one with low emissions. While the measure does not specifically target Alaska, because it has the most miles of maritime highway, it will be a location for such an initiative.
The Alaska Marine Highway System — which encompasses the ferries that help connect much of the state — also stands to benefit. The bill contains a $1-billion program that would build a ferry system to connect rural communities. Additionally, a provision would channel federal highway money towards the operation and repair of the service.
Highways, roads and bridges — Alaska Highway
The legislation authorizes money to repair more than 300 miles of highway that stretch across Alaska’s border and into Canada. It also carves out funding for projects in rural areas, which Ms. Murkowski’s office predicted could be applied to ice roads or transferred to a state commission that oversees basic infrastructure.
It will be able to spend $225 million on 140 bridges which are structurally impaired.
California
High-speed rail
For over a decade, California has sought to construct a high-speed rail line that would connect its largest cities to the Central Valley. Currently, the priority is to complete an electrified route connecting Merced and Bakersfield. Officials hope to add segments to connect the Central Valley to San Francisco and the Los Angeles Basin with additional funding. One route connecting San Francisco to the Central Valley will cost $15.2 million, while a second leg connecting Bakersfield and Palmdale will cost $15.7 billion.
Electric vehicles
After Gov. Gavin Newsom last year issued an executive order intended to ramp up his state’s reliance on emissions-free cars, California began planning a network of electric charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations. Officials expect that additional funding will be required. The state budget allocates $1 billion for the expansion of related infrastructure.
Colorado
Highways — Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels
Set at the highest point in the country’s Interstate highway system, the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels were considered a major feat of engineering when their construction began in 1968, carrying traffic for nearly two miles under the Continental Divide in central Colorado. The twin tunnels, which were built in 1968, are now nearly 50 years old. Extreme weather frequently batters the area, making them unusable. The state estimates that the cost of improvements to the tunnels could reach $150 million due to the accumulated maintenance costs.
Connecticut
Highways and urban design — I-84/I-91 in Greater Hartford
Last year, Connecticut began studying strategies for undoing the damage that the placement of major interstates cutting through the Hartford area had caused to communities. The plan consolidates several campaigns designed to improve mobility in the region. This includes a system to connect transit systems to the area, and to reunite East Hartford and Hartford sections that are no longer connected. Officials anticipate that the effort will cost $12 billion to $15billion over a 15-to-20-year period. However, they will first focus on making incremental improvements.
Electrifying public transit — CTtransit buses
The CTtransit service operates 700 diesel buses that serve Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Waterbury, among other cities in the state. Officials plan to convert all of those buses to electric within the next 15-years and pledge to support other districts in similar efforts. Estimates for the total conversion are $772 million.
Louisiana
Rail — Baton Rouge-New Orleans commuter rail
Particularly after Hurricane Katrina overtaxed highways and roads as residents evacuated New Orleans in 2005, Louisiana has focused on passenger rail service linking the city to Baton Rouge as an alternative. Since 2006, several studies have been done to determine the feasibility of this proposal. However, funding has been denied. The Southern Rail Commission oversees the project and requested federal funding to conduct an environmental assessment. The cost of the line is estimated at $150 million for capital improvements and $9million per year in operating subsidies. There would be four stops along the route between these two cities.
Bridges — New Mississippi River crossing
Transit officials have eyed a new bridge across the Mississippi River near the Baton Rouge area for decades, but have delayed planning because of a lack of funding. The Coast Guard has identified five possible sites, but each requires an evaluation for environmental impact and efficiency. The state estimates that the cost of a new bridge, connecting ramps, or interchanges, would be approximately $1.1 million. After studies are completed, officials anticipate that the project will take three to five more years.
Michigan
Climate resiliency — Great Lakes restoration
Michigan is set to receive $1 billion to help speed efforts to protect and repair the Great Lakes, including preserving natural habitats of wildlife and improving water quality. This is the largest federal investment in the program’s history.
It also contains $500 million to fund a loan program that would assist local governments in establishing mitigation projects to reduce erosion and extreme flooding risks.
Minnesota
Bridges — Blatnik Bridge
Opened in 1961, the Blatnik Bridge over the St. Louis Bay, connecting the twin ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., is quickly approaching what transit officials consider the end of its usable life. Officials of the Transportation Departments in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin are looking at how to replace or repair the bridge. But costs are unknown and new funding is needed.
High-speed rail — Northern Lights Express
Minnesota has completed planning for a high-speed rail project that would link Minneapolis and Duluth, stopping in Coon Rapids, Cambridge, Hinckley and Superior, Wis. State officials expect the project will cost $500 million to $600 million, and they estimate the final design and construction could take two and a half years.
Highways and urban design — I-94
State officials now see I-94, constructed in the 1960s to link St. Paul and Minneapolis, as one of dozens of highway projects in the United States that badly disrupted urban areas, leveling homes and suffocating businesses. The state invites residents to comment on the proposed corridor, in order to reconnect communities.
New Jersey
Rail — Gateway Tunnel
The Biden administration has expressed support for funding critical repairs to the Gateway Tunnel, addressing chronic congestion plaguing the train route that links populous sections of New Jersey to New York. Due to the estimated $11 billion-$13 billion cost of completing repairs, progress has stalled after Hurricane Sandy damaged the tunnel in 2012.
The infrastructure bill includes billions of dollars from funds set aside for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and improvement grants that could go toward the project, said Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both Democrats.
Electrifying public transit — New Jersey Transit buses
As part of a pilot program started this year, New Jersey Transit is deploying its first electrified buses in Camden and aims to electrify its entire fleet by 2040. To acquire and operate additional electric buses, the state will need $5.7 billion.
Oregon
Rail — Southwest Corridor Light Rail
In 2009, officials began planning to build a light rail line that would ferry passengers from downtown Portland to Tualatin in 30 minutes. The line would have 13 additional stops. This will increase rail capacity in the Portland metropolitan area. Officials expect that it will add approximately 400,000 residents by 2040. The project will cost approximately $2.8 billion. Funding is not available at this time.
Bridges — I-5 bridge replacement
Addressing structural deficiencies of the Interstate 5 bridge, which connects Oregon to Washington over the Columbia River, has long been a top priority for transit officials in both states. Officials believe that the two bridge spans are more than 100 years old and could collapse in an earthquake.
Despite millions of dollars being spent on studies, several attempts to replace it have failed. Both state transit officials are pushing for a new seismically-resilient structure that allows pedestrians and bicycle lanes to be built. This is taking into account equity and climate concerns. Project costs range from $3.2 billion to $4.8 million.
Rhode Island
Ferries
State transit officials believe Rhode Island stands to gain from expanding its ferry service, connecting port towns like Wickford and East Greenwich. The state currently operates ferry service between Providence & Newport, with a stop in Bristol in summer. But, the state has proposed purchasing vessels and upgrading terminals to allow for new destinations, at an estimated cost $15 million.
Electrifying public transit — Electrified trains to Boston
Together with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Rhode Island is considering adding electrified rail service between Providence and Boston. Officials hope to start a cross-honoring ticket program, which will give commuter rail passengers the option to take Amtrak. Future phases will include electrifying the entire route. M.B.T.A. would be responsible for this. There is funding available for study. Officials envision upgrading the line between the cities at a cost approximately $350million.
Virginia
Rail — A new Long Bridge
As part of its bid to sharply expand passenger rail, Virginia is pursuing plans to add a $1.9 billion bridge across the Potomac River. The new bridge would be an addition to the Long Bridge that connects Virginia and the District of Columbia. It would create a separate pathway for freight and passenger operations.
It is the only railroad bridge connecting Virginia and Washington. The current Long Bridge was built in 1904, and heavily modified in 1942. Transit officials call the crossing one the most congested points on the East Coast. A parallel crossing, which could be used to divide freight and passenger trains, is proposed.
Highways and urban design — Route 1 in Crystal City
State officials have begun studying ways to upgrade Route 1 in Crystal City, part of a major corridor that carries over 45,000 vehicles per day from the Washington metro area to busy parts of Arlington County, such as Pentagon City. Virginia plans to redesign Route 1 in order to maintain traffic flow and provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists, especially after Amazon announced its expansion in Crystal City in 2018. The state has not yet allocated funding.
West Virginia
Highways — Corridor H
Corridor H, a portion of the Appalachian Development Highway System meant to stretch across much of the state, has gone unfinished for more than half a century. As of last September, construction on certain pieces of the Corridor H highway was not expected to begin for at least another decade.
It now has a vital infusion of money through the infrastructure bill.
The legislation was drafted by Senator Joe Manchin III (a Democrat) and Shelley Moore Capito (a Republican). They both supported it. The measure created a $2 billion rural grant program that is expected to direct funding toward the broader Appalachian highway system, and is expected to provide an additional $195 million to projects like Corridor H.
Energy and natural resources — Coal and oil cleanup
The legislation maintains an existing program that helps clean up abandoned coal mines, providing $11.3 billion for states like West Virginia for their continued restoration to protect communities nearby. At least 140,355 acres of land in West Virginia require cleanup that would cost nearly $2 billion to address, according to an estimate provided by Mr. Manchin’s office.
Also, funding would be available to help address abandoned oil and gas wells. These wells could emit toxic pollutants and pollute water. West Virginia is home to at least 4,646 oil and gas wells.
Wyoming
Highways — Teton Pass Tunnel
Transit officials are exploring a plan to bore a tunnel through the Teton Pass, diverting cars from the current route, Wyoming Highway 22, which winds through the mountains. The highway is closed to commercial traffic during winter due to the threat of avalanches.
According to the proposal, the tunnel would traverse the southern range of Tetons. Vehicles could avoid high summit climbs and avoid steep grades and curves. Officials stated that funds have not been available for the project and that it is currently unknown how much it will cost.