Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) announced that she secured $21,901,000 in direct funding for Iowa infrastructure improvements within the House’s surface transportation authorization legislation that advanced to the House floor earlier today.

The funding secured by Axne will support projects that range from a bridge replacement in Red Oak, a Traffic Incident Management Center at Camp Dodge, and bus facility improvements for transit agencies which cover all sixteen counties of Iowa’s Third District.

“Repairing our bridges and roads, improving commuter routes, and upgrading our mass transit systems are all critical to ensuring Iowa has the infrastructure it needs to grow and thrive for decades to come,” said Rep. Axne. “This year, I had the chance to bring Iowa’s tax dollars directly back to our communities to fund the projects we need – and I’m proud to have successfully secured over 21 million dollars in improvements that will impact all 16 counties of Iowa’s Third District.”

Rep. Axne successfully pushed to include six projects for Iowa’s Third Congressional District in the legislation that authorizes spending on highway and transit projects, including:

• $7,000,000 for upgrades to the Southeast Connector connecting SE 30th Street to US Route 65 near Des Moines and Pleasant Hill
• $5,000,000 for bus and bus facility upgrades at the Southwest Transit Agency, Western Iowa Transit, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, Southwest Iowa Trolley, and the Des Moines Regional Transit Authority
• $4,880,000 for Phase 1 of construction on a Traffic Incident Management Center at Camp Dodge in Johnston
• $2,321,000 for construction of a new Regional Transit Facility for the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency in Waukee
• $2,000,000 for improvements to the Mills Civic Parkway at S. 91st Street and S. Grand Parkway in West Des Moines
• $700,000 for the replacement of the Red Oak Creek Bridge in Red Oak

Earlier this year, Rep. Axne requested funding for transportation projects from throughout the Third District and formally submitted requests for these six and other projects to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I). The requested projects are posted publicly on her website.

The funding secured by Axne is included in the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, which will cover the surface transportation portion of the infrastructure negotiations occurring between both chambers of Congress and the White House.

The INVEST in America Act was advanced by the T&I committee today, and is expected to receive a vote before the full U.S. House later this month. The U.S. Senate advanced their version of surface transportation legislation last month, and the two bills will form the foundation for the infrastructure agreement reached by both parties in Washington.

“While there is a long way to go before this funding is officially signed into law, I believe this week represents a big step forward by seeing these projects written directly into the legislation that will form the basis of Congress’ infrastructure agreement this year,” said Axne. “There are still plenty of details to work out – and other portions of an infrastructure deal like broadband and child care to settle – but this funding shows that our agenda for infrastructure will directly and undeniably help Iowa and improve the lives of Iowans across our state.”

All of Rep. Axne’s requested projects were listed on the Iowa Department of Transportation’s state, tribal, or territorial transportation improvement program (STIP) list – a designation highly recommended by the T&I Committee to ensure the projects were supported at the local level – and were submitted to the committee with letters of support by local and state sponsors.

More information on those requests and the criteria for submissions of these projects can be found here.