Appalachian Development Highway System
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.229
- Agency
-
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 36 $128,567,398 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Formula Grant
- Project Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 69-0548-0-1-401
- 69-0640-0-1-401
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration is funding construction, reconstruction, and improvement of highways within the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS), Assistance Listing 20.229, with the most recent grant award issued on August 12, 2026.
The ADHS comprises designated corridors and roadways spanning 13 states—Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The program, established under the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, is jointly administered by the Appalachian Regional Commission and FHWA. Funded projects include roadway widening and safety improvements (such as US 19/US 74/US 129 upgrades in Cherokee and Graham Counties, North Carolina), interchange construction (the Exit 161 Bellefonte Interchange between I-99 and I-80 in Pennsylvania), bridge construction and replacement, local access roads serving economic development districts, and industrial park infrastructure. Environmental planning, design, construction, and right-of-way acquisition are eligible activities. Work occurs across the designated ADHS corridor network in all 13 eligible states.
The program awards are predominantly Formula Grants (89 percent of 36 total awards, distributed to states by formula apportionment) with a smaller share of Project Grants (11 percent). FHWA is the sole funding agency, obligating $128.6 million in federal dollars across recent awards. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides $250 million annually (less 1.5 percent for FHWA administration) from fiscal years 2022 through 2026, apportioned based on the 2021 Cost-to-Complete Estimate. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also reserves 25 percent of its $2 billion discretionary Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program for ADHS, though no ADHS projects received awards from that pool in FY 2024; FY 2025 reserves were up to $112.5 million and FY 2026 reserves up to $125 million.
Recent awards span environmental assessment phases and active construction. The Hardy County Road 23/12 project in West Virginia received three formula grants totaling $33 million in January 2026 for grade, drainage, bridge construction, and related work. The Exit 161 Bellefonte Interchange in Pennsylvania received seven formula grants in April 2024 totaling approximately $20.5 million for multi-span bridge design and construction. Local access road projects, such as the Sharpsburg Borough connector road in Pennsylvania (May 2026, $400 thousand) and Industrial Boulevard extension in Bedford County, Pennsylvania (March 2026, $3.06 million), received formula grants for local economic connectivity.
Award cadence has been uneven: eight awards in 2022, one in 2023, eight in 2024, two in 2025, and eight in 2026. No recent grant opportunities are actively posted; funding flows through state formula apportionments under IIJA authorization through 2026.
Objective and description
- Objective
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a system of designated corridors and roadways within the 13 States that make up the Appalachian Region. The ADHS Program is aimed at timely completion of the designated ADHS. The ADHS was created b
- Description
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a system of designated corridors and roadways within the 13 States that make up the Appalachian Region. The ADHS Program is aimed at timely completion of the designated ADHS. The ADHS was created by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965. Its purpose was to provide a system of development highways and access roads which would contribute to economic development opportunities in the Appalachian regions of 13 States --Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ADHS program is jointly administered by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the FHWA. Please visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/specialfunding/adhs/ for additional information
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
The ADHS was created by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965. Its purpose was to provide a system of development highways and access roads which would contribute to economic development opportunities in the Appalachian regions of 13 States - Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Uses of assistance
The ARC and FHWA funds may be used for the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of highways on the latest approved Cost to Complete Estimate of the ADHS. Section 133 of title 23 U.S.C. makes STBG funds eligible for "highways, bridges, and tunnels, including designated routes of the Appalachian development highway system and local access roads under 40 U.S.C. 14501" NHPP funds may also be eligible if the facility meets the requirements of that program.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58 provides dedicated funding of $250 million (less 1.5% for FHWA operations and administration) each year from FY 2022 through 2026 for the ADHS. Per specific criteria provided in the legislation, the funding will be apportioned to states based primarily on the 2021 Cost-to-Complete Estimate percentages minus the cost of corridors states indicated no intention of completing in the 2013 Completion Report and further updated by the ADHS 2020 Future Outlook. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also mandates that 25% of its $2 billion discretionary Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program awards be reserved for ADHS projects. For FY 2024, this amount was up to $100 million. However, no ADHS projects received an award in FY 2024. The amount reserved for ADHS projects from this discretionary program will be up to $112.5 million in FY 2025 and up to $125 million in FY 2026.
How to apply
- Award procedure
The funds are apportioned to States by formula. For information on IIJA apportionments by State, please see the link below: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act/funding.cfm?_gl=1*1jchsao*_ga*ODU0MjExMTYzLjE3MDU2MDU0MTU.*_ga_VW1SFWJKBB*czE3NTUxMDA5NTgkbzM0MyRnMSR0MTc1NTEwMTAyOSRqNjAkbDAkaDA.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 36 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wvdot Division Of Highways | $59,811,414 | 47% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation | $28,469,724 | 22% |
| 3 | Transportation North Carolina Department | $20,540,140 | 16% |
| 4 | Alabama Department Of Transportation | $15,303,804 | 12% |
| 5 | Executive Office Of The Commonwealth Of Kentucky | $2,900,000 | 2% |
| 6 | Tennessee Department Of Transportation | $1,000,000 | 1% |
| 7 | Georgia Department Of Transportation | $505,125 | <1% |
| 8 | Virginia Department Of Transportation | $37,191 | <1% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $124,022,258 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.229?
Assistance Listing 20.229 is Appalachian Development Highway System, a federal grant program run by Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Appalachian Development Highway System?
Its CFDA number is 20.229: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.229 awarded?
36 grant awards under 20.229 have obligated $128,567,398 in federal funds to 8 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.229?
The recipients obligated the most under Appalachian Development Highway System are Wvdot Division Of Highways ($59,811,414), Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation ($28,469,724) and Transportation North Carolina Department ($20,540,140).
On GovTribe
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