Bridge and Other Transportation Infrastructure Research Program

The Department of Transportation Immediate Office of the Secretary Transportation funds research and development in bridge and other transportation infrastructure through this Assistance Listing (CFDA 20.950), with the most recent grant award disbursed May 15, 2025. The program is highly specialized and narrowly scoped: it serves only accredited universities of higher education in the northeast United States that have prior experience leading a U.S. DOT-funded Regional University Transportation Center and a demonstrated track record developing, patenting, deploying, and commercializing innovative composite materials and technologies for bridge and transportation applications, as well as conducting research and developing prototypes using very large-scale polymer-based additive manufacturing.

Activity is sparse but substantial. The portfolio contains a single Cooperative Agreement valued at $23 million obligated in federal dollars, disbursed to the University of Maine in May 2025. This award—the X-Bridge Project—funds research and prototyping to develop technologies delivering bridges at half the cost in half the time with double the lifespan. The University of Maine will design and prototype a composite bridge system, integrate advanced composite materials into bridge construction, explore AI-assisted design tools, and construct a full-scale demonstration bridge in partnership with Maine DOT. The cooperative agreement spans three years to May 2029, with initial funding of $8 million, an option-1 award of $8 million, and a potential option-2 award of $4 million if funds become available.

The program has been active under FY 2025–FY 2028 authority. No recent grant opportunities are posted in the source. Eligibility is restricted to northeast universities meeting the composite materials and additive manufacturing criteria. Award authority rests with the Director of ARPA-I (Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure). Prospective applicants should verify current solicitation status and confirm their qualification as a prior or current UTC grantee before investing in application development.