USDOT sends $31.6M in infrastructure grants to South Dakota; Projects on Lower Brule and Cheyenne River Reservations among those getting the dollars

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $31.6 million for four projects in South Dakota, part of $1.8 billion in awards from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. The awards fund 148 projects nationwide and bring the total amount of Biden-Harris Administration RAISE grants to more than $7.2 billion for over 550 projects across the country.

“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers.”

The competitive and popular RAISE program, which was authorized $1.5 billion a year on top of already appropriated funds thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supports a diverse slate of communities with projects of local and regional significance. Funding is split equally between urban and rural areas, and a large percentage of grants support regions defined as historically disadvantaged or areas of persistent poverty. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs. RAISE discretionary grants invest in critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects that would otherwise not receive the funding needed if not for President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

RAISE is a keystone program of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, rebuilding and repairing critical infrastructure using American-made materials and spurring historic levels of private sector investment in regions around the country. Investing in key transportation infrastructure initiatives through programs like RAISE is growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up, lowering costs for families, and creating good-paying, union jobs for American workers in their home communities.

As in years past, the demand for RAISE funding outpaced available funds, with the Department receiving almost $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion available this year.

Projects in South Dakota include:

1. $2,308,000 for the BIA 5 and BIA 10 Reconstruction Project in the Lower Brule Reservation – The project will plan and design the reconstruction of BIA routes 5 and 10 between the Lower Brule Sioux Tribal headquarters, Town of Lower Brule, South Dakota Highway 47, and Interstate 90. This projects will focus on improvements that include widening, rumble strips, flatter slopes, improved horizontal and vertical curves, new road surface, signage, improved non-motorized paths adjacent to the BIA 10, and improvements to pedestrian road crossings. The project will also look to incorporate pedestrian and bicycle improvements in select locations.
2. $3,206,500 for the Cheyenne River-Ziebach County Roadway Improvement Planning Project in the Cheyenne River Reservation – The project will plan and design the reconstruction of approximately 38 miles of road in the communities of Dupree and Cherry Creek. The project aims to promote long-term economic growth in an underserved area and ensure goods are able to be transported efficiently. The project will include collaboration between the Tribe, Ziebach County, and the communities of Cherry Creek and Dupree.
3. $25,000,000 for the US 18 Reconstruction in Bennett County project – The project will reconstruct approximately 11-miles of US 18 from east of SD 73 to west of Antelope Road/242 Avenue. The reconstruction will include 6-foot shoulders and rumble strips. The highway’s current lack of multi-use shoulders pose a safety risk as it forces motor vehicle to share the travel lanes with bicyclists and pedestrians. The construction of 6-foot shoulders will provide space to separate bicyclists and pedestrians from vehicle travel lanes. Improvements will also address geometric deficiencies and snow drift.
4. $1,100,000 for the Comprehensive Downtown Railroad Safety Solutions project in Rapid City – The project will plan and design safety improvements for at-grade rail crossings in downtown Rapid City. The proposal will potentially include a feasibility study, National Environmental Policy Act analysis, benefit-cost analysis, right-of-way survey, engineering design, and public engagement. The project will also integrate rail crossing improvements with affordable housing and mixed-use economic development efforts in Rapid City.

The full list of projects can be viewed here.

The RAISE program is one of several competitive grant programs providing funding to communities across the country under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. To date across the Biden-Harris Administration, nearly $454 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced to more than 57,000 specific projects in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories.

For more information on the RAISE program, click HERE.