This story was reported and written by our media partner the Virginia Mercury.
After years of bureaucratic limbo, Virginia is set to receive $8.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a slate of infrastructure projects that were first announced three years ago.
The funding comes as part of a national effort by the administration of former President Joe Biden to clear a backlog of 3,200 unobligated grants that had stalled “critical investments” in communities nationwide, according to the agency. The department said Tuesday it has now cleared 1,065 of those projects but did not explain why the grants were delayed in the first place.
Six awards are headed to Virginia, benefiting Ashland, Smithfield, Petersburg, Richmond and Salem. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation also received $5 million for Phase II of the Jamestown Scotland Ferry Facility Rehabilitation Project.
“While cynics in the press hysterically warned of doomsday delays, USDOT has been hard at work to get America building again,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “We’ve done this by refocusing the department on core infrastructure – not enacting a radical political agenda. With a third of the last administration’s unprecedented backlog cleared, we will continue to rip out red tape roadblocks to get dirt moving.”
Duffy said the agency is working “diligently” to distribute these “long-overdue” funds and prioritize core infrastructure projects.
As part of the shift, the agency said it has eliminated several policies supported by the previous administration, including requirements tied to racial equity, climate change, and social justice.
“Removing these requirements will save taxpayers millions,” the agency stated, citing increased road construction costs and mandates to report greenhouse gas emissions.
Among the Virginia recipients, the city of Richmond will receive $2 million — the second largest award in the state — for the Broad Rock Boulevard Grade Separation Study and Development. The project focuses on improving rail crossings with the goal of enhancing mobility by eliminating delays caused by blocked crossings.
Awarded Grants
Town of Ashland – Ashland At-Grade Crossing Study – $421,200
City of Richmond – Broad Rock Boulevard Grade Separation Study and Development – $2,704,000
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation – Jamestown Scotland Ferry Facility Rehabilitation Project (Phase II) Revised – $5,048,650
City of Petersburg – Petersburg’s Safety Action Plan – $200,000
City of Salem – SS4A Safety Action Plan – $100,000
Town of Smithfield – Smithfield Safety and Connectivity Plan – $136,000
