Minnesota, South Dakota, and Utah are among the recipients of nearly $500 million in grant money for transportation projects across the country through the competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.
Scott County, Minnesota will receive $17.7 million for a highway freight interchange at the junction of US 169, Trunk Highway 41, and supporting roadways. The project will facilitate movement across US 169, remove direct private and commercial accesses onto US 169, and relocate access and route traffic to a controlled intersection in order to safely connect high-volume truck generators to US 169.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota will receive $14.62 million to reconstruct approximately 16 miles of Route 7 from the City of Rosebud to US 83 on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The project includes roadway reconstruction, intersection reconfiguration, construction of pedestrian infrastructure, and a wide range of safety enhancements.
The Utah Transit Authority will receive $20 million to improve connectivity and access to its transit system. The project includes building network connections including crosswalks, trail connections, sidewalks, and bike lanes, and filling non-motorized network gaps, among other safety projects.
“For the eighth year running, TIGER will inject critical infrastructure dollars into communities across the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This unique program rewards innovative thinking and collaborative solutions to difficult and sometimes dangerous transportation problems. A great TIGER program doesn’t just improve transportation; it expands economic opportunity and transforms a community.”
The highly competitive TIGER grant program supports innovative projects, including multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects, which are difficult to fund through traditional Federal programs. The 2016 awards focus on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities, both urban and rural.
Since 2009, the TIGER grant program has provided a combined $5.1 billion to 421 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and tribal communities. These Federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, States, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies. The 2016 TIGER round alone is leveraging nearly $500 million in Federal investment to support $1.74 billion in overall transportation investments.