The Biden-Harris Administration awarded Houston $2 million as part of the Federal Highway Administration's competitive Bridge Investment Program to study the possibility of rehabilitating eight bridges along Buffalo Bayou.
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Houston City Council applied for the grant in May to study the feasibility of repairing and raising the number of bridges that crisscross 15 miles in Houston.
The $2 million asking price, according to previous reporting, would allow the city to conduct a feasibility and hydrology analysis, and move forward with project development and stakeholder engagement.
Houston Public Works submitted the grant application in May. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the award Aug. 7.
Project funding
Funding for the project comes from the Federal Highway Administration's competitive Bridge Investment Program. The program, created by President Joe Biden's Infrastructure Law in 2022, is intended to help fund early phases of bridge construction projects.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the grants will help actively address the backlog of bridges needing repairs.
“The Bridge Investment Program Planning grants [announced] today will provide much-needed resources to communities nationwide so they can complete the plans and studies required to move forward with important bridge projects,” he said in a news release.
To date, $7.4 billion in funding from the Bridge Investment Program has been awarded for 78 projects across 38 states. August's investment alone included distributing $26.5 million to fund 28 projects in 18 states.
Texas received $2.6 million with Houston receiving $2 million and the city of Boerne receiving $600,000.
What to expect
Houston will use its portion of the funding for planning activities such as conducting the feasibility study. The study will help determine if the bridges can be elevated above the flood plain, reduce future deterioration and eliminate a need for a detour during flood events. According to the release, the study will also explore bicycle and pedestrian connections.
The bridges under examination, both northbound and southbound, include:
- Kirkwood Bridge
- Wilcrest Bridge
- Dairy Ashford Bridge
- Sabine Bridge
