Big Sky Times

FUNDING COMES FROM RAISE GRANTS SECURED THROUGH THE SENATOR’S BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA)

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today secured $877,275 in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for detailed planning of infrastructure upgrades to Main and Marcus Streets in the City of Hamilton. The funding will come from the RAISE Grant program which Tester fought for in his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Tester was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to support this bill, and was one of the lead bipartisan negotiators who crafted the package.

“As a third-generation Montana farmer, I know how important it is for our rural communities to have infrastructure that they can rely on,” said Tester. “That’s why I worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass my bipartisan infrastructure law that will create good-paying jobs and help maintain our economic advantage over China by investing in Montana’s roads, bridges, high-speed internet, water systems, and more. This funding will help the City of Hamilton keep its community connected, and I’m proud to see these federal dollars finally going to projects that will serve the Treasure State.”

Tester has led the charge to secure funding for infrastructure projects that will increase access across Montana communities like Hamilton. This funding will go toward the planning, design and engineering of the improvements of Main and Marcus Streets. These two streets serve the east-west corridor in Hamilton, connecting neighborhoods, schools, parks, and commercial areas on either side of Highway 93 – a five lane highway bisecting the community. The absence of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities along much of this corridor creates an unsafe environment for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly children going to school and residents traveling to downtown and river front parks. Additionally, several sections of this corridor are in need of realignment and added intersection control to address safety and delay concerns for all travel modes.

You can find Tester’s letters of support for this project HERE.

Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate the IIJA with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House. Tester’s law is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

Tester secured significant wins for Montana in the legislation, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways, and bridges; $2.5 billion to complete all authorized Indian water rights settlements; $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $65 billion to deploy broadband to areas across the country that lack internet access and additionally make online connectivity affordable; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. A full list of Montana provisions in Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure law can be found HERE.

Original source can be found here.