The billions add up: $3.7 billion for an expansion of the I-15 highway in Utah; up to $4 billion for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway; and $16 billion for the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
The U.S. continues to fund and expand highways, even as some parts of the world invest in greener infrastructure over concerns about global warming and amid a broader movement away from cars.
As of fiscal year 2023, there were at least seven federally funded highway construction and expansion projects across the country slated to cost nearly $16 billion, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s “Highway Boondoggle” report published in November.
These projects, which include the Gorham Connector in Maine, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the I-15 expansion in Utah, and the I-10 expansion in Texas, among others, will “harm communities and the environment, while likely failing to achieve goals such as reducing congestion or improving safety,” the report states.
And there’s more. Later this year, Austin plans to spend roughly $4.5 billion expanding I-35 through the heart of the city, potentially displacing more than 140 homes and businesses, according to a Texas Department of Transportation evaluation report.
Some efforts are underway to mitigate the harms highways cause to neighborhoods and the environment.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced the winners of more than $3.3 billion in grants to heal neighborhood displacement caused by highway construction. This money, awarded across more than 132 communities, will be used to reconnect communities by “removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
A spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration told NBC News in a statement that it is working with states and communities to invest in safer and cleaner modes of transportation, like walking and biking.
“We are dedicating billions of dollars to plan and build locally-driven…
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