Clinton lands $15 million RAISE grant for Manufacturing/Bluff project
CLINTON — The city of Clinton has been awarded a $15 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity grant to reconstruct Manufacturing Drive and Bluff Boulevard, a project known as The Drive to Prosperity.
Overall, nearly $1 billion will be invested in American infrastructure through the RAISE discretionary grants program. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Friday released the list of grants earmarked for 90 projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Guam. The city of Clinton is the only RAISE grant recipient in the State of Iowa.
Clinton’s $38.1 million project will reconstruct and improve approximately four miles of roadway, from the intersection with U.S. 30 to Seventh Avenue North.
The project includes reconstructing two bridges, converting the roadway into a three-lane section with added turn lanes all at major intersections, adding a roundabout at South 19th Street, interconnecting traffic signals, separating sewer and sanitary lines, and installing bio-swales to capture rainwater and filter storm water. It will also upgrade traffic signals, install sidewalks and a bicycle route, add transit shelters, and modify intersections.
“The City of Clinton is excited to partner with several different organizations to completely reconstruct a brand-new transportation artery that runs through the heart of the City of Clinton,” stated a press release from Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion’s office.
In addition to the RAISE grant of $15 million, the Clinton project will receive $6.6 million from the state of Iowa. The city’s local match is $13.3 million, and Iowa American Water has committed $3.2 million. The city of Clinton is working with Alliant Energy for upgrades to their utilities along the entire corridor.
“Recognition goes out to McClure Engineering Company on this project, who worked tirelessly over the past several years on this grant application,” Maddasion’s press release said. “The City would like to thank United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for supporting the City of Clinton and the Drive to Prosperity Project.”
Fiscal Year 2021 RAISE Transportation discretionary grants are for planning and capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and were awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. RAISE funding supports roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation.
Per statute, the department is awarding 50% of RAISE transportation grant funding to projects located in rural areas and 50% to urban areas that deliver positive benefits for these communities. For this round of RAISE discretionary grants, the maximum grant award is $25 million, and no more than $100 million can be awarded to a single state, as specified in the appropriations act.
“We’re proud to support these great projects that will improve infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, make us safer, advance equity, and combat climate change,” said Buttigieg. “As in past years, we received far more applications than we could fund: this cycle saw about a 10-to-1 ratio of requests to available dollars. But going forward, with the passage of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will be able to support far more infrastructure projects to support jobs and everyday life in communities across the country.”
According to documents from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the program selection criteria encompassed safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, innovation, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. Within these criteria, the grants reflect the department’s priorities for creating good-paying jobs, improving safety, applying transformative technology, and explicitly addressing climate change and advancing racial equity.