$900 Million in BUILD Transportation Grants Announced

The U.S. Department of Transportation this week announced $900 million in BUILD grant funding for transportation projects around the country, supporting a similar focus on rural and highway projects as in previous rounds of spending.

2 minute read

November 13, 2019, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Highway Construction

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

"The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has awarded about $900 million in the latest round of its much-sought BUILD grants, dividing the funds among 55 projects in 35 states," reports Tom Ichniowski.

"In announcing the winners for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grants on Nov. 12, DOT noted that 50% of the total dollars awarded are going to projects in rural areas, continuing a Trump administration emphasis," according to Ichniowski.

A separate article by Mischa Wanek-Libman from November 7 preceded the official announcement of the $900 million total BUILD funding to focus on funding for transit projects announced by congressional offices leading up to the official announcement by the U.S. DOT.

"As of the morning of Nov. 7, transit specific and transit related projects account for $78.18 [million] of the awarded grants. USDOT had $900 million in funding available for this round of BUILD grants. During the FY18 round of BUILD grants, transit accounted for $195 million in awarded funds, but USDOT also had $1.5 billion available for the previous round of awards," according to Wanek-Libman. The most recent round of BUILD funding was announced in April 2019.

Despite the extra funding headed the way of rural areas, the news in at least one urban area, Memphis, focused on how much its BUILD grant would help its public transit efforts.

Now that the announcement is official, there's a state-by-state listing of projects, with a description of each, in a pdf file online.

Several sources on Twitter, like the Eno Center Center for Transportation's JeffDavis and the San Francisco Chronicle's Rachel Swan, provided additional insight into the transportation funding priorities of the Trump administration as compared to the Obama administration.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019 in Engineering News-Record

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing