On November 5, 2021, H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by the U.S. House after being previously approved by the U.S. Senate. It is the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure in nearly a century. It is four times the infrastructure investment in the 2009 Recovery Act.
Across the country, it will bring $550 billion in new federal spending over five years for:
1) Repairing roads, bridges, and major projects
2) Investing in public transit and rail
3) Rebuild the electric grid
4) Expands broadband Internet access
5) Secures clean water, including replacing lead pipes.
The package reauthorizes surface transportation programs, including the critical Highway Trust Fund, for five years. Initial estimates show Colorado will receive over $4.8 billion to support roads, bridges, and transit investments alone.
Over the next five years, H.R. 3684 will provide the following for Colorado:
• $3.7 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs over the next five years. Colorado currently has 481 bridges and over 3,600 miles of highway in poor condition, and commute times for Colorado drivers have increased by 9.3% on average since 2011. H.R. 3684 is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.
• $916 million to improve public transportation options across the state and repair and replace transit vehicles in need.
• $688 million to eliminate lead service lines and pipes and ensure clean, safe drinking water for Colorado families, schools and child care centers.
• $432 million to improve and modernize Colorado’s airports.
• $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including for the approx. 85,000 Coloradans who current lack access to reliable high-speed internet.
• $57 million to expand the EV charging network across Colorado with additional grant funding opportunities to accelerate the adoption of EVs to address the climate crisis and support domestic manufacturing jobs.
• $35 million to help protect against extreme weather events and wildfires.
As part of the bill, Ed played a critical role in securing funding to begin construction of a new United States Geological Survey (USGS) building to support energy and minerals research which will replace aging office and lab facilities for more than 150 USGS scientists on the School of Mines campus in Golden, Colo. Ed also helped include a bipartisan bill to require the U.S. Department of Transportation to refund credit risk premiums, including to Colorado’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) with respect to their RRIF loan for the Denver Union Station project. This provision ensures RTD will receive a refund of $29 million plus interest for their 2010 loan once additional funding is secured through the annual appropriations process which we expect to happen over the next month or two.
NEWS & UPDATES
I-70 Noise Wall Replacement: CDOT recently celebrated an exciting project milestone on the Interstate 70 Noise Wall Replacement Project in the City of Denver, as the first of the new noise wall panels are officially in place along the north side of I-70 between Tennyson Street and Lowell Boulevard.
Department of Interior, Perlmutter Announce New USGS Building: As part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Perlmutter successfully secured $167 million in funding and authorities needed to build a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) facility to support energy and mineral research on the School of Mines campus, replacing aging office and lab facilities currently at the Denver Federal Center. This new facility will be located at the CO School of Mines and will house both students and faculty along with about 150 USGS staff and lab facilities.
National EV Charging Network: The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced nearly $5 billion - including $8.3 million for Colorado - that will be made available under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build out a national electric vehicle charging network, an important step towards making electric vehicle (EV) charging accessible to all Americans.
Replacement of I-70 Bridges: In January 2022, Ed joined representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and local officials to tour bridge reconstruction projects across the state, including the I-70 Ward Road bridges and 44th Avenue bridges along a busy stretch on I-70. CDOT has identified these bridges as needing replacement. The I-70 West Denver Metro Corridor is a highly traveled and important stretch of interstate connecting the Denver Metro Area to the I-70 Mountain Corridor. Thanks to funding from the IIJA, CDOT will be able to move forward with reconstructing these bridges and many others across the state. Replacing these four aging bridges will improve safety and mobility, relieve congestion, and strengthen Colorado’s economy as goods and people can move more efficiently between the state’s mountain communities and urban centers.
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