Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Allocates Billions to Louisiana

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 5, 2021, which then sent the legislation to President Biden to be signed. The legislation will provide $973 billion over five years from the fiscal year 2022 through the fiscal year 2026, including $550 billion in new investments for all modes of transportation, water, power and energy, environmental remediation, public lands, broadband, and resilience. In addition to providing authorizations for a wide variety of programs, the legislation will also make supplemental appropriations to several federal agencies: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Transportation. What does this mean for Louisiana?

Statewide, funding from the IIJA will be allocated to various important issues:
• $4.8 billion to highways
• $1.01 billion to bridges
• $470 million to public transportation
• $73 million to Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
• $179 million to airports
• $20 million to a more resilient transportation system that has the capability to recover from disruptions such as extreme weather

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said, “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a big win for Louisiana as it will allow the state to both advance long overdue and much-needed major road and bridge projects as well as help expand high-speed broadband access, affordability, and literacy. These bipartisan investments will be nothing short of transformational. Over the next five years, this nearly $6 billion federal investment will have a significant impact on major projects such as highways, bridges, public transportation, electric vehicle infrastructure, ports, and airports, and it will create a more resilient transportation system that can better withstand disruptions from extreme weather. Louisiana’s aging infrastructure will receive improvements that create a better overall quality of life for all users, expand the economy, and provide a more reliable transportation system for citizens and businesses in Louisiana. In addition, expanded broadband, especially in rural areas of our state, will greatly benefit small businesses, farmers, students, teachers, healthcare professionals, and so many others. In short, the historic investment levels of the IIJA provide a unique opportunity to improve and transform our state now and for generations to come. I commend Congress and the Biden Administration for this historic achievement, and I look forward to working with the legislature to ensure that we take full and immediate advantage of this opportunity to advance our state.”

This is the largest federal investment in public transit and clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in history. It is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the interstate highway system was constructed and the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. Funding is also provided for power infrastructure, additional protection from droughts and floods, reconnecting communities divided by transportation infrastructure, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, electric buses, environmental remediation, and high-speed internet.

“The IIJA is crucial for Louisiana, as it will allow the state to advance several much-needed major road and bridge projects in which funding has not yet been fully identified,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D., President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Our state’s infrastructure system is relying solely on a fuel tax that’s over 30 years old; as a result, we have a backlog of $15 billion in road and bridge repairs that will never be eliminated with the current gas tax. In recent years we’ve relied heavily on federal dollars and innovative funding methods, such as public-private partnerships, to continue investing in our aging transportation system. Not only will this act benefit infrastructure projects, but it will also greatly help our multimodal systems such as our waterways, ports, and rail programs. With this funding, DOTD will be able to close the gap in funding on major projects and implement more projects to help slow the backlog of growing needs. I applaud Senator Bill Cassidy of our state who was instrumental in gathering bipartisan support for this bill in the Senate, and we are grateful for his hard work. I would also like to thank Congressman Troy Carter for his vote and continued support to improve Louisiana’s infrastructure.”