One year after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the White House is highlighting the projects across the country the law has helped fund, including over $2.9 billion in funding for over 100 Colorado infrastructure projects.
The bill offers financial support for critical infrastructure including roads and bridges, internet, water, public transit, energy and power, airports and more. According to a Colorado-specific fact sheet released by the White House, more projects are expected to start in the coming months with additional opportunities for funding.
“By reaching communities all across Colorado – including rural communities and historically underserved populations – the law makes critical investments that will improve lives for Coloradans and position the state for success,” a White House spokesperson said.
The infrastructure law marks the largest investment in bridges alone since the construction of the interstate highway system, according to the fact sheet. In Colorado, this will result in work on 481 bridges and 3,620 miles of highway currently in poor condition. The state is expected to see more than $3.7 billion in federal funding over five years to improve highway and bridge infrastructure. So far, Colorado has seen nearly $1.7 billion to support the state’s roads and bridges across several projects.
Colorado will also receive at least $100 million of the $65 billion in infrastructure law funding dedicated to providing affordable internet access. More than 167,000 Colorado households have already signed up to receive discounted monthly internet bills through the Affordable Connectivity Program, with an estimated total of 758,000 Colorado households eligible for the program.
Colorado is also familiar with the issues presented by lead water pipes and PFAS chemical exposure, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law prioritizes improving access to clean drinking water. According to the White House, Colorado has already received $123.6 million to improve the state’s water infrastructure, with $56 million dedicated to lead pipe and service line replacement in 2022.
Additional transportation funding has gone to clean buses and electric vehicle charging, with $51.1 million for clean transit buses and $20.4 million to build out a network of EV chargers. Colorado is also in line to receive about $233 million to support clean energy, supporting projects like weatherization and power grid improvements.
Another big source of funding is earmarked for protecting against extreme weather and climate change, and Colorado has been allocated $418 million to help with flood mitigation, reducing wildfire risk and other projects. Other funding areas Colorado has gotten support in include legacy pollution cleanup, airport support and port and waterway improvements.
The White House also released an interactive map where one can see locations of individual projects funded by the infrastructure law.
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