United States transport officials have announced that they will be funding local infrastructure projects in Connecticut to the tune of $41.6m.
The money will be used to build new bridges, bike lanes, roads, ports, and railways in numerous communities. In total, $23m of the money set aside for Connecticut will be used in Waterbury, and $16.4m will be used to design and construct trails in New Britain and Plainville. Stamford will get $2.1m.
The City of Waterbury had previously applied for funding for infrastructure. A portion of the funds will be used to construct the second phase of the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail. The stretch of the trail that passes through Waterbury is 2.3 miles long. Another portion of the funds will be used to renovate West Main Street, improve streetscaping, and for electrical vehicle charging stations located at the Downtown Waterbury Train Station. Printing services could be used to inform the public about ongoing public works.
When speaking about the grants, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated:
“This is a program that recognizes many of the most interesting and compelling ideas and designs and plans aren’t going to come from Washington, but more of the funding should. That’s what we’re delivering here.”
This year’s competitive grants are worth twice as much as what the program awarded in the previous year. The rise comes from new infrastructure law worth $1 trillion approved by President Biden. The new law provides another $7.5bn over five years to the grants program.
