In November 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure. This legislation was designed to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; ensure every American has access to high-speed internet; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.
Over three years have passed since Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and hundreds of substantial infrastructure improvement projects are already in full swing across the country. Highlighted below are a few of the top-funded projects underway in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
The federal government invested $18.8 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in Arizona, including:
- $6.2 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $1.3 billion in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $1.2 billion for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $1.3 billion for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $127.5 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
- $4.9 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $1.3 billion in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $710.2 million for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $1 billion for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $141.5 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
- $3.1 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $389 million in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $155.6 million for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $371.1 million for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $90.2 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
- Upgrades to baggage handling systems in Terminals 1 and 3 to enhance capacity, security, reliability, and energy efficiency
- Holding pad and runway pavement rehabilitation
- New runway edge drains to protect pavements from deterioration
- $3 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $479.3 million in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $471.5 million for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $1.3 billion for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $87.5 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
- $3.4 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $347.9 million in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $201.9 million for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $763 million for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $85.7 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
- $1.8 billion for transportation investments, including roads, bridges, public transit, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.
- $1.8 billion in grants, rebates, and other incentives to boost the use of clean energy, buildings, and manufacturing. These funds are in addition to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- $93.1 million for climate resiliency and hardening against other threats.
- $358.4 million for improving access to clean water and water infrastructure, including $85.7 million for replacing lead pipes and service lines.
IIJA Funding: $270 million (multiple awards)
Estimated Construction Start Date: Fall 2025
Estimated End Date: Fall 2028
The U.S. General Services Administration awarded a $274.7 million design-build contract in October 2024 to Hensel Phelps, Stantec, and Jones Studio for the new commercial inspection port along the Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona.
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Five miles away, the existing Raul Hector Castro Land Port of Entry processes both commercial and noncommercial vehicles. The new Douglas port of entry will increase truck inspection capacity from one lane to four new lanes and truck inspection docks from 12 to 36. The Douglas facility will also accommodate oversized mining equipment, which the current port cannot. Once complete, all commercial traffic will shift to the new facility, with the existing port dedicated to noncommercial traffic, including passenger vehicles, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“The new Douglas Land Port of Entry will significantly increase our ability to inspect commercial vehicles and process goods more efficiently, all while supporting economic growth in the region,” said Troy A. Miller, Customs and Border Protection senior official performing the duties of the commissioner. “This project represents a critical investment in both the security of our nation and the prosperity of our border communities. By leveraging advanced technologies and sustainable design, we are also building a smarter, more resilient port of entry for the future.”
Valley Metro Rail, South Central Extension/Downtown Hub
IIJA Funding: $132.1 million
Construction Start Date: 2019
End Date: Mid-2025
This 5.5-mile extension will connect the existing light rail system in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, to historically and culturally significant neighborhoods along Central Avenue to Baseline Road. The $1.3 billion project includes a transit hub in downtown Phoenix, eight new stations, two park-and-rides, and public art throughout the corridor. Kiewit serves as Construction Manager at Risk.
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This project also incorporates a community plan designed to support affordable housing and increase public transit ridership, connectivity, and accessibility for residents and visitors.
The federal government invested $9.8 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in Colorado, including:
IIJA Funding: $349.6 million
This $550 million project stretches along 6.5 miles of the South Platte River and two of its tributaries through the heart of Denver, Colorado. In addition to mitigating flood risks, the plan will restore approximately 160 acres of riparian corridor and wetland habitat and nearly 100 acres of aquatic habitat along the river, while reconnecting another 190 acres of isolated habitat to the river corridor.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) partnered with the City and County of Denver as part of the USACE Civil Works Public Private Partnership Pilot Program to accelerate project delivery by leveraging appropriations while optimizing local participation and promoting risk sharing in project delivery.
“This project presents a unique opportunity for the Omaha District Corps of Engineers to partner with an extremely dedicated sponsor to restore a highly degraded river that would provide a significant boost in nationally significant habitat and habitat connectivity, while also providing flood risk reduction to hundreds of structures within both the Harvard and Weir Gulch communities,” said Col. Mark Himes, Commander, USACE Omaha District.
I-70 Floyd Hill
IIJA Funding: $100 million
Construction Start Date: July 2023
End Date: Late 2028
Built in the 1960s, the infrastructure around Floyd Hill badly needs an upgrade, especially with the growing population along Colorado’s Front Range and increasing traffic volumes on I-70. With an estimated construction cost of $700 million, this project will improve travel-time reliability, traffic flow, safety, and wildlife connectivity through an 8-mile section of the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
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Contractor Kraemer North America is adding a third westbound I-70 lane that will be a tolled express lane, rebuilding bridges, constructing a missing 2-mile section of frontage road, straightening roadway curves, and adding other improvements.
In announcing the federal grant in 2022, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Executive Director Shoshana Lew said, “CDOT is proud to take this next step in building Colorado’s infrastructure and improving our transportation system for years to come. Thanks to the investments made possible by the legislature and Governor [Jared] Polis through SB 260, Colorado now has sustained support to fix and build the infrastructure our growing state needs and leverage newly available federal funding through grants like the $100 million that we recently received for Floyd Hill. Today’s actions also show that we can do all this while taking meaningful action on climate change, improving our air and providing Coloradans more choices.”
The federal government invested $4.8 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in Nevada, including:
IIJA Funding: $74.8 million (multiple awards)
Construction Start Date: January 2024
End Date: December 2025
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With a total cost of $86 million, this project is funded by 95 percent federal funds and 5 percent state funds. Spanning nearly 9 miles of I-15, the work is designed to improve travel-time reliability and accommodate the area’s projected growth through increased mobility and access.
Contractor Fisher Industries is widening I-15 from six to eight general-purpose lanes between Sloan Road and St. Rose Parkway, widening the interstate from six to 10 general-purpose lanes between St. Rose Parkway and Blue Diamond Road, and adding a high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction between St. Rose Parkway and Blue Diamond Road.
Harry Reid International Airport
IIJA Funding: $120.8 million (multiple awards)
In 2023, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, set a record of 57.6 million passengers. “Air travel now brings in more visitors to our destination than any other mode of transportation,” said Rosemary Vassiliadis, Director of Aviation for Clark County.
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To accommodate the increasing number of travelers, IIJA grants have funded multiple airport improvements, including:
The federal government invested $6.5 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in New Mexico, including:
IIJA Funding: $424 million (multiple awards)
Construction Start Date: 2012
End Date: 2029
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When finished, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply project will convey a reliable municipal and industrial water supply from the San Juan River to the eastern section of the Navajo Nation, southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, New Mexico, via approximately 300 miles of pipeline, 19 pumping plants, and two water treatment plants.
These areas currently rely on a rapidly depleting groundwater supply that is of poor quality and inadequate to meet current and future demands. Groundwater levels for Gallup dropped approximately 200 feet over the past 10 years, and over 40 percent of Navajo Nation households rely on hauling water to meet their daily needs. Inadequate water supply also impacts the ability of the Jicarilla Apache people to live and work outside the reservation town of Dulce, New Mexico.
In October 2024, with the overall project 70 percent complete, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation selected Jacobs to design and build the $267 million San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant, the largest project component.
“Critical to improving the living conditions for Navajo communities, in addition to basic drinking water, this plant will provide water for commercial and retail businesses, health care, schools, and other facilities,” said Greg Fischer, Jacobs’ Vice President Design-Build and Operations Management and Facilities Services. “Our approach provides the Bureau of Reclamation a more efficient way of delivering critical infrastructure necessary to supply clean, reliable, long-term water for this community.”
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I-25 Nogal Canyon Bridge Replacement
IIJA Funding: $71.3 million
The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) received grant funding in July 2024 to replace two aging truss bridges that carry I-25 over Nogal Canyon. The project will also reconstruct vertical geometry of the I-25 approaches to the new bridges and flatten the decent grade into Nogal Canyon to make it appropriate for current design speeds. Estimated project costs are $142.5 million.
“This project will be the first project that will utilize an alternative procurement with the use of Construction Manager General Contractor,” said David Quintana, Chief Engineer for NMDOT. “This method of project development brings in the contractor early in the design process to minimize risks during construction and speed up the overall delivery of the project, thereby reducing costs.”
The federal government invested $7.1 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in Utah, including:
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IIJA Funding: $394 million (multiple awards)
Estimated Construction Start Date: 2026
Estimated End Date: 2029
The Utah Transit Authority and the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) are partnering to add capacity to the commuter rail system that extends from Ogden to Provo, Utah.
Currently, northbound and southbound trains share the same track along most of the 83-mile corridor, so any service disruptions create cascading delays. This nearly $1 billion project will implement double tracking in eight locations, as well as one track realignment, to roughly double the amount of dual track. Those improvements are expected to reduce the system’s peak-hour service from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, increase overall service capacity by 55 percent, and enhance reliability.
“The FrontRunner serves as one of the most critical elements of Utah’s transit system, and this important expansion will provide exciting new mobility options to the state’s rapidly expanding population,” said Mark Fuhrmann, Senior Project Manager for HDR, the project’s Program Manager.
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I-15 South Iron County Freight, Mobility, and Safety Project
IIJA Funding: $70.4 million
With I-15 serving as a critical link between California ports and the inland West, trucks account for one-third of the corridor’s traffic. This $117 million project will add a northbound climbing lane on I-15 and replace a diverging diamond interchange with a single-point urban interchange design. Construction is slated to begin in 2026.
In announcing the federal funding, UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said, “This grant will allow us to make several improvements on I-15 that will enhance safety and increase traffic flow, including upgrading a key interchange and widening the interstate to three northbound lanes near Cedar City.”
The federal government invested $4.6 billion in public infrastructure, semiconductors, and clean energy in Wyoming, including:
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IIJA Funding: $1.56 billion
Construction Start Date: June 2024
End Date: 2029
This project marks the first advanced nuclear reactor — designed to provide carbon-free energy and gigawatt-scale energy storage — to move from design into construction. The Natrium demonstration plant is being constructed near a retiring coal-fired power plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, and is the only coal-to-nuclear project under development in the world, according to TerraPower.
Plans include a 345-megawatt, sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system that can boost the system’s output to 500 megawatts when needed, equivalent to the energy required to power around 400,000 homes. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, a public-private partnership, the project is intended to validate the Natrium technology, with TerraPower and its partners required to match federal funds.
“I’m proud of all the partners and people who helped get the most advanced nuclear project in the world built in Kemmerer, Wyoming,” said Bill Gates, TerraPower Chairman and Founder. “I believe that TerraPower's next-generation nuclear energy will power the future of our nation — and the world.”
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U.S. 30/Whitney Road/Dell Range Boulevard Project
IIJA Funding: $18.4 million
Construction Start Date: February 2024 (first section)
End Date: Summer 2025 (first section)
Over the past decade, east Cheyenne and Laramie County, Wyoming, experienced vast growth, creating safety concerns in the U.S. 30 corridor. Due to rising costs, the Wyoming Department of Transportation divided their original improvement plan into two parts. Because the section spanning approximately 2.6 miles from Pershing Boulevard to Christensen Road experiences the highest traffic volumes and most crashes, they prioritized that work.
Reiman Corp. and Aztec Construction are now widening the road to five lanes, adding a new traffic signal, and constructing a greenway underpass to reduce flooding. The second half of the project is slated to occur after 2027.
