MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friday, Tennessee District 9 Congressman Steve Cohen announced that Tennessee will be receiving significantly high funding levels for bridges across the state through the next five years thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which only Congressman Cohen and Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05) from the Tennessee Congressional delegation voted for last year.
Throughout the state of Tennessee, there are almost 900 bridges that are in poor condition. According to the American Road and Transportation Builder's Association, there are 49 bridges in District 9 and 193 in District 8 that are identified as "structurally deficient."
For the current fiscal year, Tennessee as a whole will receive $60.4 million dollars, and over the course of the next five years, the state will get $302.1 million to address all 881 bridges.
“The IIJA will make transformational improvements to our state’s infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs and cutting commuting times. Today’s announcement on much-needed funding for bridge rehabilitation reminds us of the emergency repairs needed just last summer on the crucial national freight corridor over the Hernando DeSoto Bridge linking Tennessee to Arkansas at the nation’s mid-section. These long-term investments will pay dividends for decades,” said Congressman Cohen (TN-09).
It is unclear which bridges in the Mid-South area will be receiving funding and how much for repairs and/or replacements.