The United States Department of Transportation) announced its selection of 37 projects to receive funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Mega and INFRA programs totaling $4.9 billion. The awards, announced January 25, will make considerable investments in intermodal freight infrastructure. The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) announced that multiple members were the recipients of more than $728 million for their projects.  

The Mega Program, also known as the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, funds large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means, and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits. Congress established the program in 2021 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and dedicated $5 billion to the program over a five-year period. The most recent awards were the second round of funding, worth roughly $2 billion.

The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. The most recent annual program funding amount is $3.1 billion, and the annual award amount is $1.5 billion.

“Every American relies upon and benefits from a safe and effective intermodal freight network,” said IANA President and CEO Joni Casey. “We applaud Congress for allocating these funds through the BIL and the Administration for awarding projects that will support and spur economic growth.”

IANA’s roster of corporate members includes railroads, ocean carriers, ports, intermodal truckers and over-the-road highway carriers, intermodal marketing and logistic companies, and suppliers to the industry.