INDIANAPOLIS — President Joe Biden just signed the massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law. It will direct billions of dollars towards new construction on roads, bridges and airports, along with things like expanding broadband internet.
Here's how the money will be put to work in Indiana:
From the concrete highways we drive on to the information highways we surf on, the surge in federal funding will touch nearly every part of our lives.
Indiana's getting nearly $8 billion of the massive federal investment.
"It's one of the largest investments on the federal infrastructure side that we've seen in our country's history," said Brian Gould, executive director of the Build Indiana Council, which advocates for long-term transportation funding for Indiana.
Here's where the money from the infrastructure bill will go in the state:
- $6.6 billion for roads
- $401 million for bridge repairs
- $751 million for water system upgrades
- $100 million for electric vehicle charging stations
Ports and airports are getting cash, too.
"$170 million dollars for airport development ranging from Kokomo and Peru and Huntington to Indianapolis International, there's going to be some airport money. So yeah, it really is going to touch every aspect of our lives," said Brian Howey of Howey Politics Indiana.
More Hoosiers will get access to high-speed internet because of the investment, as well. That's something Gov. Eric Holcomb has been pushing for. Now, there's federal funding to make it happen.
"There's going to be $100 million designated to not only expand high-speed internet, but make sure it's high speed enough so you can use streaming service and that kind of thing," Howey said.
On our interstates and roads, we'll see perhaps the biggest physical impact. You can expect more cone zones, with eventual safer travel.
INDOT plans and funds projects on a seven-year timeline. While the agency didn't share specifics, they say the additional money will speed up projects already in their timeline and perhaps add some projects that normally would fall just outside that window.
"We know these dollars, this is going to allow us to expedite some of those projects - expansion of I-65 and I-70 to six lanes, the Evansville and Ohio River bridge crossing," Gould said.
Between fixing bridges and expanding highways, the construction industry is expecting a big boost, too.
"Lots of jobs. We're still looking at which projects may or may not be selected, but something of this scale, I think you're talking thousands of jobs," Gould said.
Gould also pointed out that about 25% of this funding will go to local road projects. All of the investment is expected to happen over the next five years.