Big Bridge for the Construction Industry
Lucy Perry
Taking advantage of the opportunity for federal dollars
flowing out of a new bridge formula program, state DOTs also are capitalizing
on highway program funds and discretionary grants to repair and replace bridges
across the country. That means more future construction.
ARTBA reports that bridges are a big focus for any state
highway programs. The association logged more than 27,000 structures in need of
repair or replacement.
According to the association, states now have access to the
full $26.6 billion available in the new bridge formula program over five years.
"Unlike the core highway program, agencies have four
years to commit these funds toward eligible projects," said ARTBA.
As of December 2025, states have committed $15 billion
toward more than 7,350 projects, nearly 57 percent of available funds.
"And, as projects get under way, states have been
reimbursed for $8.5 billion in work completed," it said.
Ongoing Problem, New Funding Program
In its 2025 bridge report, ARTBA found that 220,295 spans
across the country need repair. It noted that 74,472 actually should be
replaced.
The association logged approximately 222,000 bridges in need
of repair in 2024 and more than 76,000 needing replacement.
Of the bridges needing repair, 41,677 are rated in poor
condition — down from 42,067 in 2024 — and classified as "structurally
deficient," reported ARTBA.
"Motorists cross these structures 163 million times a
day," said Alison Premo Black, ARTBA's senior vice president and chief
economist.
Premo Black tracked and analyzed the bridge data and found
that California was among states that declined in the number of bridges in poor
condition:
Iowa, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Nebraska rounded out
the top five with the biggest drop in poor-condition spans.
The number of bridges in poor condition rose in North
Carolina, New York, Illinois, Oregon and Wisconsin.
"The results help underscore the importance of the
federal bridge formula program, which provides $27.5 billion for states through
FY 2026," said Premo Black.
As the end of FY 2025 approaches, states have committed
$11.7 billion in bridge formula funds or 55 percent of the $21.2 billion
currently available.
"These funds are supporting more than 6,000 bridge
projects in the construction and repair pipeline," said the economist.
ARTBA's analysis of the 2025 DOT National Bridge Inventory
found that 35 percent of all U.S. bridges require major repair work or
replacement.
Premo Black said states have received $21.2 billion in the
first four years of the 2021 infrastructure law's new $27.5 billion formula
bridge program. She noted that to date, states have committed $11.7 billion or
55 percent of these resources to more than 6,000 bridge projects.
The remaining 45 percent of released bridge funds and the
$5.3 billion provided to states in the last year of the bill supports
additional improvements.
Thirty-one states have committed at least half of their
available bridge formula funds, said Premo Black.
Just eight states and Washington, D.C., have committed less
than 33 percent of available funds, as of June 30, 2025.
The DOT's discretionary Bridge Improvement Program (BIP)
provides an additional $12.5 billion for projects that will be awarded through
2026.
Under the 2021 IIJA, states have access to $5.3 billion in
formula funds each year after set-asides and takedowns from the $5.5 billion
apportionment.
The BIP has awarded $7.8 billion for 87 planning, small and
large bridge project grants in motr than 40 states.
Premo Black reports that over the past five years, the share
of bridges in fair condition has continued to grow. At the same time, the
numbers of structures classified as being in "poor" or
"good" condition has declined.
"Most bridges are inspected every two years, meaning
repairs under way or in the planning stages can take time to be reflected in
the NBI data," she said.
ARTBA reported that last year, 50 percent of all bridges in
the United States were in fair condition.
Bridges in poor condition represent 6.7 percent of the 2025
U.S. bridge inventory — compared with seven percent in 2021.
Based on average cost data submitted by states to DOT, ARTBA
estimates it would cost $467 billion to make all identified repairs, said Premo
Black.
The classification is based on the latest inspection, which
usually occurs once every 24 months for most bridges, according to the ARTBA
bridge report.
"Therefore, state and local governments may be in the
process of working on some of these structures to make needed repairs,"
Premo Black said.
The ARTBA study found that most state rankings stayed the
same in 2025, even as improvements have been made.
The states with the most bridges in poor condition, in
order, are Iowa, West Virginia, South Dakota, Maine and Puerto Rico.
Beyond those five, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Louisiana,
North Dakota and Michigan rounded out the top 10 list.
ARTBA also noted that 13 states have committed 75 percent or
more of their funds to bridge repairs and replacements.
The list is led by Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West
Virginia, Idaho, Indiana, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
In a report to members, ARTBA said that while the 2021
infrastructure law provides investment, one in three bridges still need repair
or replacement.
"Congress has the opportunity to build on this recent
momentum in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill due Sept. 30,
2026," said the association.
Turning Tide in Bridge Construction
"America's bridge infrastructure is entering a defining
decade," said Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic
Partnerships Inc. "Transportation agencies are advancing high-value
replacement projects that blend safety, mobility, freight reliability and
multimodal access."
Nabers added that many of the structures now slated for
reconstruction were built between 1950 to 1980. She said they were never
designed to accommodate today's traffic volumes, vehicle weights or safety
standards.
But the bridge sector is seeing a national wave of
large-scale investments that present significant opportunities.
It's a great chance, she added, for engineering firms,
contractors, materials suppliers and technology providers to take advantage of
the construction funding.
"These projects reflect a shift toward resilient
design, expanded capacity, pedestrian and bicycle integration and long-term
durability," said Nabers. "With federal BIP dollars flowing, many
states are allocating funding matches to support the planning and design phases
for future projects."
In fact, numerous solicitations for significant projects
will be released over the next 12 to 24 months, she said. That positions this
year and next as "pivotal" years for preconstruction engagement.
Notable projects on Nabers' list include replacement of the
Rainbow Bridge over Idaho's Payette River.
Valley County officials in Idaho have announced a $54
million project to replace the bridge on State Highway 55.
"The existing bridge is aging, weathered and no longer
able to meet Idaho Transportation Department safety standards," said
Nabers.
Safety and operational concerns have persisted for years,
she added, including inadequate shoulder and lane widths.
Tight curves and vehicle length and weight restrictions also
have plagued drivers traversing the bridge.
Officials were weighing three design options for the
replacement: a multi spandrel art deco arch, a steel thru arch, or a spandrel
braced steel arch.
Construction is not expected to begin until 2028, but early
industry positioning will be important as procurement milestones are
established.
In Harrisburg, Pa., city officials announced a $1.3 billion
bridge project that will replace the aging I-83 Bridge. This construction will
be done in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said
Nabers.
"The objective is to improve long-term mobility, reduce
congestion and enhance safety along this heavily traveled corridor."
The contract is for replacement of the main bridge with a
new structure built to current compliance standards and designed to accommodate
future traffic demand.
"Crews will rebuild and improve roadway approaches on
both sides of the river to create safer merging areas and smoother traffic
movements," said Nabers.
The Virginia DOT's long-range improvement program outlines a
$47.7 million replacement project for the I-66 bridge in Fauquier County.
The current structure, built in 1980, no longer meets modern
safety standards, said Nabers. It also cannot adequately accommodate regional
traffic demands along the I-66 corridor.
So, the existing bridge will be demolished and replaced with
a new structure featuring increased load capacity.
"The initiative is intended to extend the service life
of this critical crossing and improve reliability for commuters and freight
movement," said Nabers.
The project is in the design stage, with solicitation
documents scheduled for release in late 2026. Completion is currently targeted
for summer 2029.
In Kansas, a new four-lane bridge is planned for Leavenworth
County. KDOT plans to replace the existing Centennial Bridge over the Missouri
River.
At an estimated cost of $157 million, the project will be
designed to deliver a multimodal bridge just north of the existing structure
nearing the end of its useful life. Constructing a new structure adjacent to
the existing span, KDOT can maintain connectivity during construction as it
incorporates existing alignments.
"Once the new bridge is operational, the existing
structure will be demolished."
Construction is to begin in early 2027; completion expected
for 2029. CEG
Celebrating a wind-driven energy milestone in New London
John Penny
New London — Gov. Ned Lamont, flanked by other state and
local cheerleaders for the nearly complete Revolution Wind project, took a
victory lap Wednesday as they stood on the city’s waterfront and lauded the
wind farm’s recent activation.
As far as celebration sites go, it was likely hard to find a
better backdrop for the day’s speeches.
Lamont, Mayor Michael Passero, state representatives and
union workers gathered at City Pier in the shadow of the under-construction
National Coast Guard Museum and not far from State Pier where components for
the 90% completed wind project were staged and assembled before being shipped
to an installation site south of the Rhode Island coast.
“That’s progress out there,” Lamont said, gesturing to the
Wind Scylla turbine installation ship that was motoring through the Thames
River and out to the newest wind farm, Sunrise Wind, being built in federal
waters just south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The Danish company Ørsted, which partnered with Global
Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables on the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind
project, announced
two weeks ago that the installation had begun delivering power to the New
England electrical grid — a milestone that Wednesday’s speakers noted did not
come without some complications.
Lamont and state Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes both decried project delays they blamed on
President Donald Trump’s push to halt the project twice last year. Those
directives — Dykes called them “illegal moves by the federal government” — were
ultimately blocked after being challenged in federal court.
Dykes said the Revolution Wind project, with 60 of its 65
massive turbines installed, will deliver “desperately needed power to the ISO
New England grid.”
“But it shouldn’t have taken this long,” she said, adding
such extra energy production was badly needed after a particularly brutal spell
of recent winter weather.
Dykes said it’ll take another couple of months before the
farm is able to reach its full power output levels. Both Rhode Island and
Connecticut have 20-year project power purchase agreements — Connecticut for a
304-megawatt share of the power — and the farm is expected to power 350,000
homes.
Lamont said the project will serve a crucial role in helping
offset those high- and low-temperature “power spikes” that frequently plague
consumers, and as a cushion against volatile gas and oil prices.
“This is going to save us a fortune,” Lamont said. “This is
a down payment on our future.”
ISO New England, the nonprofit organization that runs the
New England electric grid, reports that as of March, wind energy accounted for
7% of New England’s electricity.
Connecticut Port Authority Executive Director Michael
O’Connor — the authority owns the pier, though Ørsted has a 10-year-lease with
options to extend it and sublease to other companies — said he expects the
Sunrise Wind work at the pier will last through the end of 2027.
The future use of the pier has been a lingering question,
especially with Trump’s vocal opposition to wind projects. O’Connor said the
authority is “willing to host new projects,” at the pier, including those not
wind-related. He said the pier's proximity to a freight rail line and its
ability to accept a range of cargo gives it dual-use capabilities.
After the news conference, Lamont and Passero made the short
drive to the Port ‘N Starboard restaurant at Ocean Beach Park, where the
governor delivered the keynote speech at the Chamber of Commerce Eastern
Connecticut’s annual meeting.
"Optimistic, but cautious" about state's future
Lamont’s remarks, which included mentions of a planned 230-unit
apartment complex on Hamilton Street, focused on the overall financial health
of the state, which he conceded was “a little complicated.”
“I’m optimistic, but cautious,” he said while touting Connecticut's
economic growth, unemployment rate and recent housing permit numbers. “We’re
better positioned than in the old days when we didn’t have a rainy day fund.”
Lamont acknowledged that nearly $5 billion budget reserve
fund was “burning a hole” in some legislators’ pockets but argued it served as
a financial bulwark during times of economic uncertainty marked by a “choppy
stock market” and stagnant national job growth.
Lamont said one of his biggest challenges has been
navigating the “herky-jerky” tendencies coming out of Washington, D.C.,
especially when it comes to appropriations promised to Connecticut.
“They get yanked, put back and yanked back out,” he said.
The chamber luncheon also featured a surprise announcement
by long-time group leader Tony Sheridan who said he was stepping down as
president but will remain as CEO.
Megan Gilbert, who has worked at the chamber since 2012,
most recently as its vice president, was named the group’s new president.
Seaport Marine plans $13M redevelopment in downtown Mystic
Carrie Czerwinski
Mystic — Three and half years after a fire ravaged the
Seaport Marine property, the owners of the 11-acre Washington Street marina
property now plan a $13 million redevelopment.
If approved, the project would not just replace what was
destroyed in the fire, it would see major improvements to streets and
sidewalks, improving public access and modernizing infrastructure.
A four-alarm
fire tore through the 11-acre marina property in November 2022, destroying
a warehouse and home but leaving the 122 boat slips and facilities mostly
untouched.
The marina along the Mystic River is also home to the
popular Red 36 restaurant, which was undamaged by the fire.
“It’s really just an improvement of the facilities,” Seaport
Marine General Manager Harry Boardsen said Tuesday.
The plans, received by the Planning Department March 17,
include 2,100 linear feet of dock space, adding electrical vehicle chargers and
20-foot-wide sidewalks that will extend pedestrian access farther downriver
from Mystic River Park.
“We’re going to be able to carry that whole riverwalk even
further down into Seaport Marine, so when you come across the drawbridge,
you’ll be able to actually walk down the riverfront,” he explained.
Plans also show that the project will fill in some missing
sidewalk sections along Washington Street, which would complete the span of
sidewalks running from Cottrell Street to Broadway Avenue and add some
sidewalks south of Washington Street on Willow Street.
“It’s definitely modernization and doing some nice things
that the public will have access to,” Boardsen said.
He said the work also includes putting in higher capacity
electrical service and he hopes to be able to relocate some of the utilities
underground.
Boardsen explained that the impetus behind the project was
to increase dock space for the marina’s transient docking patrons.
The number of available slips in the 2,100 linear feet is
not fixed, allowing the space to accommodate multiple sizes of vessels.
“It’s just a beautiful property in the heart of Mystic, and
there’s an awful lot of business that floats by us because we don’t have the
room for them. We want to bring business to town, but most importantly that
isn’t arriving in cars,” he said.
The project also includes further site cleanup, stormwater
and flood management work.
New bulkheading will require separate approval by the state
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The blaze at Seaport Marine was the biggest fire in downtown
Mystic since March 2000, when a nighttime fire destroyed a West Main Street
building that housed eight businesses next to the drawbridge. In 1960, a fire
destroyed 15 businesses and a movie theater not far from Seaport Marine.
Seaport Marine owners proposed a major redevelopment of the
property in 2019, called Smiler’s Wharf, that included 120 more slips, a
45-room hotel, a marine services building, a second restaurant, a public park
and walkway and housing, but withdrew it in the face of opposition from
residents.