The U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration amended two bridge grant funding notices June 2 to remove requirements added under the Biden administration that do not match up with Trump administration goals. Nearly $4.9 billion is available for major bridge projects and $500 million is available for rural bridge repair and replacement projects.

The amendments target climate change, environmental justice, DEI and workforce development requirements, including the use of disadvantaged business enterprises, the latter of which DOT attorneys recently requested a judge block the agency from using as part of a proposed settlement to a lawsuit brought by two contractors. 

“The previous administration handcuffed critical infrastructure funding requirements to woke DEI and Green New Scam initiatives that diverted resources from the department’s core mission,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. 

The amendments impact FHWA’s Large Bridge Grants and its Competitive Highway Bridge Program. Applicants that are already under consideration will need to submit additional materials responding to the updated notices. The deadline for the current funding round is Aug. 1 for large bridge applications and Nov. 1 for other bridge projects.

The move follows an executive order President Donald Trump issued in February, which directed agency heads to review their contracts and grants, and to terminate or modify them as necessary to cut costs and advance administration policies. It also comes as DOT officials have been working through a backlog of grants that Duffy previously said were awarded but never obligated. DOT has been removing similar Biden-era requirements before finalizing the grant agreements, according to Duffy. 

Road and Bridge Repairs

DOT also recently announced more than $1.5 billion in emergency federal funding to states and territories for road and bridge repair projects, including $683 million for repairing damage from last year’s Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. 

“As we continue to provide disaster relief, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide the federal resources needed until all highway transportation links are restored,” Federal Highway Chief Counsel Jay Payne said in a statement.