Washington

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. The need for action in Washington is clear and recently released state-level data demonstrates that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver for Washington. For decades, infrastructure in Washington has suffered from a systemic lack of investment. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Washington a C grade on its infrastructure report card. The historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make life better for millions of Washington residents, create a generation of good-paying union jobs and economic growth, and position the United States to win the 21st century.

To date, over $3.9 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced and is headed to Washington with at least 214 specific projects identified for funding. Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed, Washington received approximately $2.9 billion for transportation to invest in roads, bridges, public transit, ports and airports and roughly $183 million for clean water. And, as of today, more than 237,000 households across the state are receiving affordable high-speed internet due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Many more projects will be added in the coming months, as funding opportunities become grant awards and as formula funds become specific projects. By reaching communities all across Washington – including rural communities and historically underserved populations – the law makes critical investments that will improve lives for Washingtonians and position the state for success.

Specifically, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make the following investments:

• Roads and Bridges. In Washington there are 416 bridges and over 5,469 miles of highway in poor condition. More than 4% of Washington’s bridges are in poor condition and considered structurally deficient. Washington has a road infrastructure funding gap of $1.3 billion in 2020. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 12.7% in Washington and on average, each driver pays $659 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. 
  • Based on formula funding alone, Washington would expect to receive $4.7 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $605 million for bridge replacement and repairs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over five (5) years.
  • Washington can also compete for the $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program for economically significant bridges and nearly $16 billion of national funding in the bill dedicated for major projects that will deliver substantial economic benefits to communities.
• Rail and Transit. Washington state has 33 transit agencies that provide bus, ferry, and light rail service to more than 7 million residents. In 2020, Washington ranked 14th in the nation for rail-grade crossing collisions with 41 occurring that year. Residents of Washington who take public transportation spend an extra 72.9% of their time commuting. In addition, 17% of transit vehicles in the state are past useful life.
  • Based on formula funding alone, Washington would expect to receive $1.79 billion over five years under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve public transportation options across the state.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. The IIJA invests $7.5 billion to build out the first-ever national network of EV chargers in the United States.
  • Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Washington would expect to receive $71 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network in the state.
  • Washington will also have the opportunity to apply for the $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging in the bill.
• Broadband. Broadband internet is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected. 8.5% of Washingtonians live in areas where, under the FCC’s benchmark, there is no broadband infrastructure. Even where infrastructure is available, broadband may be too expensive to be within reach. 8.8% of Washington households do not have an internet subscription.
  • Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Washington will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 241,000 residents who currently lack it. And, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 1,409,000 or 19% of people in Washington will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.
• Clean Water/Wastewater. The law contains nearly $44 billion to strengthen the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems, remove lead pipes and service lines, and eliminate harmful contaminants through the EPA’s State Revolving Funds programs. These programs, administered by the states, make grants and loans eligible to communities for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure investments. Community public water systems (PWS) provide water to more than 6.28 million of Washington’s 7.31 million residents. The remaining population is served by private systems, including individual water wells. There is a clear divide between the well-funded large-to medium sized PWS versus the small-to-very-small PWS. While large PWS comply with water quality regulations, meet water supply, and maintain and operate their infrastructure effectively, smaller PWS are having difficulty satisfying all regulatory requirements on a consistent basis. Washington reports a $11.73 billion drinking water investment gap over the next 20 years.
  • Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, based on the traditional state revolving fund formula, Washington will expect to receive $882 million over five (5) years to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities.
• Airports. Washington is home to 11 major airports that will benefit from the $25 billion in increased airport infrastructure funding provided over five (5) years from the IIJA. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimated that $3.6 billion is needed to grow and sustain the entirety of Washington's 134 public airports during the next 20 years.
  • Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, airports in Washington would receive approximately $385 million for infrastructure development for airports over five (5) years.
• Ports and Inland Waterways. Washington is home to nine (9) major ports and 1,060 miles of inland waterways that will benefit from $17 billion in new infrastructure funding over 5 years from the IIJA.

• Grid and Clean Energy Infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure, is focused on working across the public and private sectors to help the U.S. transition to the clean energy economy. With more than $75 billion in investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Washington will benefit from multiple opportunities focused on the rapid commercialization, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy technologies. DOE is playing a critical role in efforts to rapidly lower energy costs, slash carbon emissions, and create new industries with the high-quality union jobs that are guaranteed to boost domestic manufacturing capabilities while strengthening U.S. global competitiveness.