White House to fund $27 billion in bridge repairs as part of infrastructure push

The White House announced Friday over $27 billion in spending over the next five years to repair worn-down bridges nationwide, "including full funding for structures that aren't part of the federal highway system," The Wall Street Journal reports.

The spending comes as part of the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in November.

Traditionally, state and local governments must pitch in up to 20 percent "of the costs of bridge work to win federal funding," notes the Journal; however, the administration is removing that requirement for bridges not connected to the federal highway system in hopes that governments prioritize projects they normally wouldn't.

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Should states want to use federal money for bridges that are part of the federal system, however, they must still pitch in 20 percent of the cost, per administration officials.

The White House estimates the funding will improve "15,000 highway bridges across the country," notes the Journal. Notably, there are over 45,000 bridges considered to be in poor condition nationwide.

Funds will be allocated to states based on need. That said, the largest amount of money will go to California, which is set to receive $4.2 billion over the five-year period. New York wil receive the second highest state total, per Bloomberg.

"Modernizing America's bridges will help improve safety, support economic growth, and make people's lives better in every part of the country, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, "across rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities."