Delaware’s Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is cashing in again on the annual redistribution of federal infrastructure dollars.
The First State is getting more than $30 million from the Federal Highway Administration’s August redistribution of grant funds. Each year the federal agency moves grant money unused by some states to other states who can spend it by the end of the fiscal year.
$174 million have been redistributed to Delaware since 2012.
“That is a big chunk of change that we have been able to use to expedite projects, payoff projects. Again, as we’re looking into future years that gives us more financial flexibility,” said DelDOT spokesman C.R. Mcleod. “We make a strong case that we have projects that can benefit from extra funding and we can put that money to work right away.”
The new dollars will go towards nine projects up and down the state including the widening of Route 299 in Middletown, the ongoing Route 141/I-95 interchange construction in New Castle and multiple intersection improvements in Long Neck.
McLeod says the funding is well-timed as the agency has lost out on the reduced travel seen during the COVID pandemic.
“We saw traffic decrease by more than 50 percent in some cases, which also impacted toll revenues, which is one of the primary funding sources for DelDOT. So having some more financial flexibility as we look to some of the outer years ’21, ’22 is a good thing.”
DelDOT must use the new funds before the end of the fiscal year.
The agency is planning more than $4.5 billion in infrastructure upgrades over the next six years, including the I-95 rehabilitation project scheduled to begin next year.
