$45 million will be invested in Arizona bridges this year from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly.
The historic funding, which will total $225 million over five years, will help Arizona repair and replace over 130 bridges in poor condition across the state.
“Our bipartisan legislation directly invests in Arizona through long-overdue repairs to bridges across our state, creating jobs and keeping Arizonans safe as they travel to school, commute to work, visit loved ones, and more,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.
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“Bridges connect goods, services, and families to one another all across our state. Repairing Arizona’s bridges that need upgrades is not just an economic issue – it’s a safety issue, as well. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Arizona communities and tribes will soon be able to fix the bridges that serve their communities,” said Senator Kelly.
Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio that included Senator Kelly and senators from both parties.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law authorizes the largest investment in American bridges – dedicating $26.5 billion in new funding to states over the next five years of and $825 million for Tribal transportation facilities. Today’s announcement will total $5.3 billion to states and $165 million for tribal transportation facilities for this year. Today’s funding follows previously announced $969 million for Arizona highways, roads, and bridges over five years. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law also makes Arizona bridges eligible to compete for $12.5 billion in competitive grants to improve the condition of bridges. Kelly, who serves on the Committee on Environment and Public Works, championed the inclusion of this program within the Surface Transportation Act of 2021, which was included in the final infrastructure law.
The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, The Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states.