President Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law on November 15. The bill will provide historic investments in infrastructure at the state and local level as well as create good-paying jobs and economic growth.

What the bipartisan infrastructure bill means for SC

The American Society of Civil Engineers ranked South Carolina’s infrastructure a D+. Since 2011, commute times in SC have increased 9.4%. On average, each driver pays $564 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. An investment in our infrastructure is long overdue. Below shows the opportunities for improvement coming to SC due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

• $4.9 billion over 5 years in Federal Highway formula funding for highways and bridges
• $113 million over 5 years to reduce transportation-related emissions
• $128 million over 5 years to increase the resilience of its transportation system
• $30 million for highway safety traffic programs
• $39.5 million over 5 years to augment commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety efforts
• $373 million over 5 years to improve public transportation options across the state
• $70 million over 5 years to support the expansion of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network
• $161 million over 5 years for airport infrastructure development
• Can compete for:
  • $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program for economically significant bridges
  • $15 billion dedicated to megaprojects that will deliver substantial economic benefits to the community
  • $6 billion for a new Safe Streets for All Program to reduce crashes and fatalities
  • Funds to modernize data collection systems for all reported crashes
  • SC communities can apply for grants that provide funding to repair or replace community owned utilities
  • $2.5 billion in grants for EV charging
  • $5 billion for rail improvement
  • $3 billion for grade crossing safety improvements
  • $5 billion for airport terminal development projects that address aging infrastructure

For more detailed information on the funds available to SC and the expanded grant opportunities, please visit the following link.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been tasked with implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. They created a landing page that will be continually updated with fact sheets, funding notices, guidance, regulations and presentations. We will continue to communicate with our partners at the FHWA and keep you apprised of new developments that impact the business community.