As anyone in the transportation or highway construction industry is well aware, back on November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA is also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The massive bill promises to provide $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more. In addition, roughly $110 billion of new funds will be targeted for roads, bridges, and major projects, with $40 billion of that going to new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation.
States such as California will see a significant portion of this federal funding due to its population and the sheer number of bridges and miles of roads and railways.
Spotlight on Transportation Project Investments in California
According to the RebuildingCA website,
“California expects to receive funding through IIJA that will support existing and new projects for bridge replacement and repairs, public transportation, and expansion of the Electric Vehicle charging network.
It also includes federal policy direction and funding in the areas of climate action, zero-emission vehicle deployment, social equity, goods movement and multi-modal transportation sought by California and many transportation stakeholders.”
Based on formula funding alone, the IIJA will bring California an estimated $41.9 billion over five years from Federal Fiscal Year 2022 through Federal Fiscal Year 2026. A significant part of the bill is a program called the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) created to provide grants, on a competitive basis, to improve bridge condition and the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges.
And the state is expected to receive $28.2 billion over five years in Federal highway formula funding specifically for highways and bridges.
One of the first major projects slated for California’s transportation infrastructure improvement was announced recently. According to a press release from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) website,
“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced California’s project to replace, retrofit and install critical structural elements on the Golden Gate Bridge to increase resiliency against earthquakes will receive $400 million in the first round of Large Bridge Grants from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s competitive Bridge Investment Program.”
And the push to rehabilitate and replace highway bridges in the Western United States doesn’t end with California.
New Bridges and Roadways in the West
Looking to Arizona, for example, the state’s DOT has released a Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program with plans for major corridor improvements, pavement upgrades, and more for highways. These projects include repaving, repairing, and reconstructing of highways and bridges.
Included among these projects is $83 million earmarked for replacing the Gila River bridges on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande in 2023.
And according to a recent article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, I-15 between Utah and Arizona will see a $1 million project on Black Rock Road Bridge. The bridge is located between Littlefield, Arizona, and St. George, Utah.
Another stretch of I-15 will have a new bridge project, as well.
The Arizona Department of Transportation website reports that the DOT “has initiated a project to replace the Virgin River Bridge No. 1 along Interstate 15 with a new bridge that will increase safety and help the regional corridor to continue carrying commerce…”
Work on this project will include the replacement of the abutment foundations, piers and the bridge deck of the bridge. New pavement, pavement markings, guardrail and signage also are included in the project.
And in Las Vegas, Nevada, residents are anticipating some major traffic hurdles and delays as the state embarks on a $305 million renovation of the Interstate 15/Tropicana interchange. The project has been nicknamed “Dropicana” by the Nevada DOT and will bring a massive volume of highway construction work around I-15 and Tropicana Avenue.
Crews will demolish and rebuild the north portion of Tropicana, which are the current eastbound lanes over I-15 and Frank Sinatra Drive. Additionally, much of the flyover ramp from I-15 southbound to Tropicana eastbound will be torn down and reconstructed.
Under Bridge Platforms – We Provide the Best from the Plains to the West
At Under Bridge Platforms we are proud to serve our clients throughout the Western States, including California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming to provide quality under bridge access equipment.
Our growing inventory of under bridge access platforms includes state-of-the-art bridge access platforms such as the versatile HPT 32 Trailer-Mounted Under-Bridge Access Platform and the rugged Skyjack SJB-66TK bridge unit.
There are several different bridge inspection platform vehicles available from Under Bridge Platforms that all feature multiple capabilities. Determining the best choice for your bridge work project also depends on both the bridge structure and the terrain.
So, while cost is certainly important, the vehicle capabilities and your specific project needs should be the primary deciding factors in your choice of equipment rentals.
With a professional firm you can rely on to guide you through the process, buying or renting the right under bridge inspection vehicle and bridge inspection platform equipment for your project means we are here to help you make the proper selection.
We are proud to be the only company in our industry based in California that offers total under bridge access. By offering high quality customer service, we have managed to build long-lasting relationships with our esteemed customers.
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