The text of the massive federal surface transportation bill, branded as the BUILD America 250 Act, was released today by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in total allocates $674 billion in core reauthorization, with $240 billion in authorized and direct funding for services and infrastructure across trucking, rail, aviation, and ports. Debate is scheduled to begin Thursday.
Highways and trucking‑related infrastructure
- About $110 billion for roads and bridges, which are the primary networks used by freight trucks.
- Within that, $40 billion is specifically targeted to bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, plus roughly $16 billion for major complex projects (tunnels, interchanges, etc.) that ease truck‑movement bottlenecks.
Rail (freight and passenger)
- About $102 billion is allocated to passenger and freight rail, the largest federal investment in rail since Amtrak’s creation.
- This money supports track‑backlog reduction, corridor improvements, intercity service expansion, and some freight‑rail upgrades through grant programs such as CRISI and others.
Aviation
- About $25 billion is directed to airports for repairs, maintenance, noise reduction, emissions‑reduction projects, and modernization.
- Separately, the Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 Department of Transportation budget request includes around $44.7 million per year specifically for aviation safety and cybersecurity at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Ports and maritime
- About $17 billion is allocated to port infrastructure nationwide, covering dredging, terminal upgrades, and congestion and emissions‑reduction projects.
- The fiscal year budget also proposes $550 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) and roughly $1.5 billion total for Maritime Administration (MARAD) programs.
Current surface transportation authorization of $1.2 trillion over five year expires on Sept. 30, 2026.
“The bill, formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in total allocates $674 billion in core reauthorization, with $240 billion in authorized and direct funding for services and infrastructure across trucking, rail, aviation, and ports.” — Source
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
