On Thursday, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) announced that Iowa is receiving $651,082,865 in new federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law she helped get signed into law earlier this year.
The funding administered by the Federal Aid-Highway Program, part of more than $5 billion that is projected to reach Iowa over the next five years, will create new jobs improving Iowa’s roads and bridges.
“Safe roads and bridges enable Iowans to commute, travel, sell their goods, and carry on in their daily lives. But, here in Iowa we unfortunately lead the nation in structurally deficient bridges – and have hundreds of miles of highway in need of revitalization and repair,” said Rep. Axne. “I helped approve our bipartisan infrastructure law to fund the fixes that Iowa needs, and create good-paying local jobs to make those repairs happen. With this investment, we’ll cut down on commute times, help Iowa’s small businesses and farmers stay connected to their markets, and ensure Iowans can continue traveling all across our great state.”
Iowa is ranked number one in the nation for number of structurally deficient bridges, with 4,571 bridges in poor condition. Nearly a quarter of all bridges in Iowa are in poor condition.
In Iowa, more than 400 miles of highway are in poor condition. The average Iowa driver spends over $300 a year in costs related to driving on roads in need of repair.
Earlier this month, Rep. Axne announced the first $110,745,000 investment from the IIJA to upgrade Iowa’s aging water infrastructure and create jobs while addressing key challenges like lead in drinking water.
