Aging infrastructure in the D.C. area, including roads in need of repair and public transit issues, could soon receive much needed fixes with Congress' passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure package.
“We're excited about being able to really use these resources to revitalize Washington, D.C.,” Everett Lott, the director of the District Department of Transportation, said.
And at the top of the priority list is fixing the H Street Bridge.
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“The H Street Bridge is structurally deficient. It’s still safe for people to travel on and walk across, but we want to make sure that it’s in a state of good repair,” Lott said.
DDOT is also looking at fixing the Roosevelt Bridge, along with other roads and tunnels. Lott said they are waiting to hear exactly how much money they'll get before deciding what other projects to work on.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said it’s expecting a total of $1.2 billion for public transportation improvements. They plan to spend over $500 million on bridges, $106 million on electric vehicle charging stations and $400 million on addressing climate change.
Those projects include making roads and bridges more resilient after flooding and cutting down on carbon emissions from transportation.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan put out a statement Saturday addressing the bill.
“This bill will put America’s infrastructure on the right track to grow jobs and make our economy competitive for the twenty-first century without raising taxes or adding to the debt,” the statement reads.
In the nation’s capital, the department of transportation plans to ask for suggestions from the community on what projects to embark on. Officials plan to visit all eight wards, to make sure everyone has a chance to weigh in.
