Bridge Formula Program

The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration administers the Bridge Formula Program (CFDA 20.263), funding highway bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction projects on public roads, with the most recent grant award issued on August 31, 2026. The program distributes funds to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico via formula apportionment based on relative costs of replacing bridges in poor condition and rehabilitating bridges in fair condition. Funding is entirely formula-driven; the program conducts no competitive solicitation process.

Award activity has accelerated substantially in the past two years, driven by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations. The program obligated 657 federal dollars across awards through August 2026 alone, following 943 awards in 2025 and 558 in 2024. The portfolio encompasses 3,380 formula grants obligating $5.75 billion in federal dollars since 2003, with an additional $1.4 billion in non-federal matching or cost-share contribution, yielding $7.15 billion combined obligated. The Federal Highway Administration is the sole funding agency under this program.

Recent awards reflect the breadth of eligible work: bridge deck rehabilitation and replacement dominate the portfolio, with examples spanning interstate structures, county roads, and municipal bridges. A $29.6 million award funded preservation of I-93 over the Merrimack River in Andover, Massachusetts. A $19.4 million award supported replacement of I-66 eastbound and westbound structure 2053 over Broad Run in Fauquier County, Virginia. Smaller awards such as $841 thousand for the Whiskey Jack bridge replacement in Bonner County, Idaho, and $50 thousand for preliminary engineering on a city bridge in Grove, Oklahoma, illustrate the program's span from major infrastructure to rural local bridges. Awards carry project completion dates extending to 2036, with typical timelines spanning three to ten years from award.

The program operates under an obligation deadline and five-year liquidation period; obligated balances remain available for properly charged expenses until five years after the obligation period expires, after which unexpended funds are cancelled and returned to the Treasury. No additional grant opportunities are currently open for solicitation; funding flows through state apportionment formulas rather than competitive application.