It has been a year since the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act was signed into law, and $1.2 billion now is headed to Nebraska.
About three-quarters of that money, $904 million, has been allocated toward Nebraska’s roads, bridges and related projects.
To date, the law also includes:
$75 million to provide clean and safe water across Nebraska and improve water infrastructure, including about $28.4 million to replace lead service lines.
$37.1 million to improve public transportation options.
$35.4 million toward clean energy and power and making the electrical grid more resilient.
More than $5 million toward two waterway projects: $1.33 million to repair damage sustained by the Gavins Point Dam at Lewis and Clark Lake during the 2019 floods and $3.9 million for Harlan County Lake.
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$2.3 million for cleaner-emitting school buses.
Nebraska also has been allocated $90 million to improve the infrastructure resilience against extreme weather events, climate change and other hazards. Out of that $90 million, $68 million will come through the Army Corps of Engineers for flood mitigation.
More than $26 million also has been allocated for capping orphaned oil and gas wells. The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission plans to use the money to plug and abandon the wells and then restore locations to agricultural use throughout the state.
The White House said Nebraska also will receive a minimum of $100 million to expand broadband access within the state. The broadband funding is not included in the $1.2 billion.
Overall, nearly 82% of the $1.2 billion is tied up in transportation projects and programs. Climate, energy and environment projects and programs account for another 17.8%. Nearly $5 million for broadband infrastructure for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Nebraska Indian Community College accounts for the remaining 0.41%.
The White House has identified more than 110 projects in the state that are receiving funding from the law.
Two major projects related to roads and bridges include $15.6 million to York expand its trails via Project Access York and $23.6 million to help Lincoln construct a bus transfer station downtown.
Project Access York will fund almost 10 miles of trail expansion throughout the city of 8,000, a pedestrian overpass over U.S. Highway 81 near the Interstate, safety improvements for school crossings and curb cuts throughout the city, the York News-Times reported in August. The federal money will cover the bulk of what City Administrator Sue Crawford said will be a $16.4 million project.
The Lincoln grant for the transportation center will cover about 73% of what is projected to be a $32.2 million project. Federal funding for the center had been long sought by Lincoln officials. When construction is complete in 2025, the center will include bus charging stations, allowing the capital city’s 10 electric buses to charge intermittently during the day and remain in service longer.
In addition, Bellevue is getting $440,000 to help pay for the planning to replace a major bridge within the city.
Nebraska has received more than $43 million this year for upgrades to its airports. That includes a $20 million grant to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield to widen a roadway and add a lane for a total of seven lanes next to the terminal. The grant also includes money for a new terminal drop-off area and construction of a new canopy.
The projects are a prelude to a $600 million project beginning next year to modernize Eppley’s main terminal.
The Omaha Airport Authority, which oversees Eppley, also received another $7,275,037 through the law through the Airport Infrastructure Grant Program. The Airport Authority is expected to receive similar amounts each year for five years. A spokesman said the money will be go toward future terminal developments.
The White House also has allocated $11 million to Nebraska over this year and next year to build out an electric vehicle charging network. The network initially will focus on Interstate 80. Through the program’s funding formula, Nebraska will have access to a total of $30.2 million over five years to help expand electric vehicle charging in the state. The state also will be eligible to compete for a portion of an additional $2.5 billion in discretionary grant funding.
The Raymond, Summerland, Hershey, McCool Junction and Southern school districts each received $395,000, while Hay Springs Public Schools received $305,000 through the Clean School Bus Program. The White House highlighted McCool Junction’s plan to replace existing school buses with electric school buses.
The infrastructure law drew mixed support last year from the five members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation, all of whom are Republicans. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon voted in favor of it, while Sen. Ben Sasse, Rep. Adrian Smith and then-Rep. Jeff Fortenberry voted against. The law’s successful passage marked a major legislative win for President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Fischer and Bacon received backlash from some Republicans. The Dawes and Sheridan County Republican Parties voted to censure Fischer, while the Hitchcock County Republican Party passed a similar resolution of censure against her. Former President Donald Trump called for a challenger against Bacon in this year’s Republican primary for the 2nd District seat. Bacon won the primary and last month was reelected.
Now, Bacon said, opposition to the bill is receding the more people learn about it. He credited his support for the bill in part for winning reelection last month.
“I think when a lot of people complained about it, they didn’t have the facts because there’s so much misinformation out there. By the time they heard the facts, I think 80% of the criticism went away,” he said last month.
Fischer also took a victory lap.
Calling the law “an investment in the future of our state,” Fischer said in a statement that “a year later, we’re already seeing a number of projects come online that will have a generational impact on Nebraskans and our economy.”
A Fischer spokesman said that, as a result of the law, Nebraska received 21% more transportation funding for roads and bridges in fiscal year 2022, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022, than in fiscal year 2021.
This report includes material from the Lincoln Journal Star.