en.Wedoany.com Reported - In June 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a $626.7 million grant solicitation under the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program, prioritizing projects with total costs exceeding $150 million. The solicitation is divided into two tracks: Track One utilizes fiscal year 2023 and 2024 funds for surface transportation projects, including upgrades to highways, bridges, ports, and freight rail; Track Two uses fiscal year 2026 funds exclusively for commercial motor vehicle parking projects. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, port authorities, and other public sector entities.
The application deadline for Track One is July 1, 2026, and for Track Two is July 15, 2026. The funding allocation ratio between the two tracks has not yet been announced.
The $626.7 million grant round is smaller than the $1.55 billion awarded to 26 projects under the INFRA program in fiscal year 2022. The new dedicated track for commercial motor vehicle parking is a category not present in previous INFRA solicitations. Analysis suggests that the addition of the parking track reflects policymakers' response to supply chain labor bottlenecks, such as the shortage of rest areas for truck drivers, an issue that has become increasingly prominent since pandemic-era freight disruptions. Concentrating funds on projects with total costs exceeding $150 million indicates a federal strategy aimed at investing in infrastructure to address bottlenecks in freight growth. A May 2026 report from the Association of American Railroads shows growth in intermodal traffic related to agriculture, chemicals, industrial products, and consumer goods, indicating resilient underlying economic activity.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, eligible freight rail projects include upgrades to intermodal facilities, improvements to transfer hubs, grade crossing safety projects, and port-related rail infrastructure. Unlike the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, the INFRA program specifically funds nationally significant, high-cost multimodal projects, with its $150 million minimum project cost threshold being a notable feature absent from most other rail funding programs. The award announcement date has not yet been disclosed.
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