The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced $488 million in grants through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. The funding will support 30 infrastructure projects across the country focused on improving roadways, transit systems, railways, ports, and aviation facilities.
According to the department, the BUILD grants are intended to address infrastructure needs that enhance safety, reduce congestion, and support economic development. The grants were awarded following a competitive process, with more than 800 applications submitted requesting over $10 billion in funding. Selected projects were evaluated based on statutory criteria including safety, project readiness, and cost-effectiveness.
Highlights from the 2025 BUILD Grant Awards:
- Road and Bridge Projects: Approximately 77% of total funding—more than $375 million—went to highway and bridge improvements.
- Example: Missouri will receive over $24 million to widen a 14-mile stretch of U.S. Route 54 between Farber and Curryville, expanding it from two to four lanes.
- Transit Infrastructure: About 10% of grant awards were allocated to transit upgrades to improve access and service reliability.
- Example: Jefferson County, Alabama, will receive $25 million for a new operations and maintenance facility to support the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority’s fleet services.
- Maritime Improvements: More than $35 million in funding was awarded for port and waterway projects.
- Example: In Pennsylvania, the Bristol Port Facility will receive $25 million to build an 1,100-foot dock, upgrade offloading equipment, dredge 70,000 cubic yards of material, and improve adjacent rail systems.
- Rail Enhancements: Nearly $3 million will support upgrades to rail infrastructure.
- Example: Snohomish County, Washington, will receive $2 million for preliminary design work to expand track capacity and improve rail yard operations within the BNSF network.
- Aviation Support: Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority in North Carolina will receive nearly $25 million for core infrastructure upgrades.
- Freight Efficiency: The West Virginia Division of Highways will receive approximately $25 million to expand truck parking in Cabell, Monongalia, and Berkeley counties along I-81, I-64, and I-79.
The BUILD program, which replaces the earlier TIGER grant initiative, seeks to balance funding between urban and rural communities. This year’s awards were evenly split, with $244 million going to each.
Each individual award was capped at $25 million to ensure a broad geographic distribution and support a variety of infrastructure needs. The program remains one of the federal government’s primary tools for supporting regional and local transportation priorities through discretionary grants.
The original announcement can be found here.
