The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) this week announced more than $5.6 million in Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration program grants to help seven states make the most of limited resources.
The program allows states to bring projects to fruition in a more cost-effective way by using innovative practices. Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah will receive funds in this round of awards.
FHWA has awarded more than $86.9 million for 117 grants to help federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies speed up their use of innovative traffic, safety, and construction practices, since the AID program was launched in February 2014.
“Cash-strapped states are working to deliver essential services and we’re here to help,” Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack said in a statement. “With the help of these grants, states can more easily deliver cutting-edge roads, bridges, highways, streets, and sidewalks at less cost and in less time while improving mobility and safety for all road users.”
The AID Demonstration Program builds on FHWA’s efforts to collaborate with state, local, and tribal governments, as well as federal land management agencies, to accelerate the use of innovations and reduce project delivery times.
Among the award projects, the Alabama Department of Transportation will receive funding for deploying an innovation known as Advanced Geotechnical Methods in Exploration (A-GaME) to repair and reopen a section of U.S. Route 231 in Morgan County that closed after a mudslide in 2020. Also, Mohave County in Arizona will receive funding to use Composite Arch Bridge System (CABS) technology to build a durable bridge crossing on Antares Road over Truxton Wash with reduced road closure times and construction costs.
A full list of the awarded projects can be found on FHWA's website.
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SOURCE: Federal Highway Administration