Congress extended IIJA transportation programs through Dec. 11, avoiding a Sept. 30 lapse, but omitted advance appropriations. The roughly 10-week extension offers little planning certainty; a precast-industry leader warns bridge funding will cease without further action.
The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) included $5.5 billion for the Bridge Formula Program, a federal initiative for bridge rehabilitation. The law retained traditional Highway Trust Fund revenue streams, including gas, diesel and heavy-truck taxes, and also included advance appropriations, which this extension did not carry forward. National Precast Concrete Association CEO Nick Rhoad warned that the funding gap could limit states’ ability to plan, bid and begin bridge projects without congressional action.
Some state transportation departments had begun scaling back bid openings earlier in the summer, according to Alex Etchen of the Associated General Contractors of America. Construction attorney Michael Clark said short extensions can lead agencies to split projects into smaller phases, increasing costs. The proposed multiyear reauthorization, BUILD America 250, passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 62-2 in May but has not received a full House vote. The Senate has not released its proposal, and the House Ways and Means Committee still needs to provide the bill’s tax title.
