The federal infrastructure law could have a huge positive impact on the state of Utah. This bipartisan legislation has the potential to spur repairs to thousands of miles of Utah’s roadways, improve high-speed internet access, fix issues with long waits at intersections, help fight wildfire and drought concerns, and improve water access for the Navajo tribe. The state could receive $2.4 billion for highways and $225 million for bridge replacements, with an additional $626 million for public transit and $36 million for electric vehicle charging stations.
Utah Senator Mitt Romney was a part of the team that negotiated the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the Hill in Washington, D.C., and advocated the good it could do for his home state. Utah has more than 2,000 miles of roads and more than 60 structurally-deficient bridges in need of urgent repairs. At the same time, its population is rapidly expanding. “Just maintaining our current roads is not enough to keep up with the demand of a growing state like ours,” said Romney.
The infrastructure law could bring nearly a quarter-billion dollars in funds earmarked for water projects, including $214 million for running water on the Navajo Nation and $50 million for the Central Utah Project. Though the legislation overall focuses on this type of hard infrastructure – which means more concrete – it also includes major energy sector projects devoted to alternative fuels and electric vehicles, addressing concerns around changes in the climate and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
Applauding the signing of the bipartisan package into law, Senator Romney said, “[w]hen Congress puts America’s needs over politics, we make genuine progress. We were proud to work together on this historic investment in our nation’s core infrastructure to modernize roads and bridges, strengthen rail and transit systems, upgrade ports, expand broadband access, improve water systems, and increase the resiliency of the nation’s energy grid. It strengthens our economy without raising taxes or increasing inflation. This legislation will positively impact every American.”
Updated May 2nd 2022
