Millions of dollars in federal funding will be given to several project sites in the D.C. area to improve infrastructure, according to the Department of Transportation.
U.S. transportation officials announced $2.2 billion for local infrastructure projects on Thursday, paving the way for new bridges, roads, bike lanes, railways and ports in scores of communities across the country.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects would help modernize America’s transportation systems.
“This is a program that recognizes many of the most interesting and compelling ideas and designs and plans aren’t going to come from Washington, but more of the funding should,” Buttigieg said. “That’s what we’re delivering here.”
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A total of 166 projects across the country are getting a slice of the $2.2 billion, eight of which will take place in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Some of the most notable projects in the D.C. area are located at the New Carrollton Station in Maryland and the South Capitol Street Trail in D.C.
New Carrollton Multi-Modal Transportation Station Project
The New Carrollton Multi-Modal Transportation Station Project will take place at the New Carrollton Station, with the goal of constructing multimodal transportation improvements.
A grant of $20.5 million was given to Prince George’s County for the project, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The project will construct a new train hall for the existing MARC, Metrorail and Amtrak services. It will also incorporate connections to Metrobus, TheBus and Greyhound services and the future Maryland Purple Line.
These additions, along with others, are projected to improve public safety and make public transit a more attractive mode of transportation, by providing new accessibility to the station, according to Prince George’s County's federal funding application.
D.C. South Capitol Street Trail Project
The District Department of Transportation was granted $10 million in federal funds to construct a new walking and biking trail, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The D.C. South Capitol Street Trail Project will be located in Ward 8.
This project’s infrastructure improvements will feature a 10-foot-wide walking and biking trail of approximately four miles. According to the project’s description, the trail will start at the South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue SE intersection and end at the Oxon Hill Farm Trail along DC Village Lane.
According to the District Department of Transportation, this trail will provide pedestrians and cyclists with a safer alternative to travel and connect with the broader public transit system, as the trail will also extend the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail network into the southernmost areas of the District.
Another added benefit, the District Department of Transportation noted is this project’s workforce element requirement. According to the project’s description, over half of the construction hours worked must be performed by D.C. residents, along with 20 percent of the project’s work reserved for journey-level positions.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s full list of projects and their descriptions can be found here.
