$150M in additional funds for new 1-10 Calcasieu River Bridge – American Press

The Interstate 10-Calcasieu River Bridge replacement project has received additional funding through a $150 million Mega Grant that has been awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

This competitive grant will be distributed as part of the DOT’s Mega Program, or National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, and is part of the FY22 Multimodal Progract Discretionary Grant Opportunity. This is a new program that came into fruition after the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.

The focus of the program is to financially support “large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility or safety benefits.”

In its totality, the Mega Grant Program has $5 billion in funding available until FY26, or until expended, according to the DOT.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson said based on the rules of engagement, the bridge replacement project qualified for up to $600 million in Mega Grant funding.

He said receiving this funding is a testament to LADOTD’s consistent efforts to use nationally recognized best practices.

“We are way more competitive, and are swinging above our weight class in terms of the bridges and projects that we are competing against nationally.”

Nine projects were funded through the Mega Grant Program with Louisiana receiving the third-largest grant nationwide. Wilson said this large sum of funding is setting a prosperous precedent for the state, as the $150 million grant is the largest grant the LADOTD has ever been awarded.

“I am very excited to see the total investment that we have received from a discretionary perspective since 2016.”