Axne And Buttigieg Highlight Infrastructure Bill’s Investment In Rural Iowa

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) held a press conference Thursday to discuss the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, what it has done for Iowa—and other rural areas—and what it will do in the future.

Highlighting the potential for new opportunities such as expanded partnerships at airports, job creation, and how Iowa’s infrastructure could be made safer and more effective, Axne celebrated the bill.

“All told, this law includes more than 375 programs that rural communities across the third districts are eligible for and it’s expected to invest more than $5 billion in Iowa,” Axne said. “Our rural areas are going to benefit tremendously from this and that’s why I’m so excited about this law.”

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The bill became law in November 2021. It passed with the only Iowa support coming from Axne and Sen. Chuck Grassley, while Iowa’s other four federal legislators voted against the legislation.

Axne said investment in good infrastructure can mean the difference in a long commute filled with detours, or a more direct, safer route. Same goes for the roads that ship Iowa’s goods.

Over the next five years, Iowa will receive the money for federal and non-federal highways, as well as bridges, trails, airports, water lines and support for electric vehicles.

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The money is being distributed to states, who are then able to direct the money toward project priorities. For example, which roads and bridges will come first.

“I’ll tell you from our department’s perspective, we’ve got a lot of focus on safety,” Buttigieg said. “When you have these bridges, for example, in need of repair, a lot of projects will, I think, make their way to the top of the list for that reason.”

He also said economic strength should be another indicator, both in terms of construction job creation and long-term effects for the state’s economy, such as shipping goods out.

“The point of this is to benefit communities,” Buttigieg said. “You cut through the politics and it’s about making sure we actually get things done.”

Earlier this month, the White House released a playbook which provides a guide to rural communities for when, where and how to apply for funds. The playbook also has a guide for the types of projects that qualify for the funding.

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In January, Axne announced funding for repairs to structurally deficient bridges. In December 2021, funding for roads and bridges also came out. As did funding for airports across the state and for water infrastructure such as replacing lead pipes.

The Iowa Department of Transportation in January also approved changes to its 2022-26 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program that are possible because of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Those include 14 additional pavement rehabilitation or replacement projects and four safety projects.

In all, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is meant to provide for high-speed internet, improving rural transportation, fixing roads and bridges, funding rural water projects, upgrading electricity infrastructure, and improving resiliency against climate change-fueled natural disasters.

“It will make the difference in so many communities to ensure they have success,” Axne said. “This is vital to the growth of rural Iowa and urban Iowa. Normally we would fall on the back end of getting as much infrastructure funding, but with a windfall like this it’s going to take us a long way.”

Nikoel Hytrek
4/21/22

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