What will it do for Colorado?

WASHINGTON D.C. -- After strong bipartisan passage in the U.S. Senate and months of negotiating in the U.S. House of Representatives, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was finally passed by the House on Friday in a 221 to 213 vote. The bill is now headed to President Biden’s desk where it will be signed into law.

“[Friday’s] House vote moves us one step closer to a transformational investment in our infrastructure,” said CO U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. “For years, Washington has talked about coming together to rebuild America. This bill finally achieves it with a historic, bipartisan investment in the roads, bridges, airports, water systems, and high-speed broadband America needs to compete in the 21st century.”

“We’ve just passed the biggest climate bill in U.S. history and the biggest infrastructure investment since the New Deal,” said CO U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper. “While there’s more to come, today America showed we can work together.”

Both senators from Colorado played key roles in crafting the legislation which, according to supporters of the bill, will create millions of good-paying jobs. Bennet-led initiatives are found in key segments of the IIJA and Hickenlooper was one of the 22 bi-partisan senators to actually write the bill, which included the first bill he passed after taking office.

Accolades aside, Colorado stands to gain substantial funding in significant areas of need.

Colorado will receive $3.7 billion for highway projects. It’s estimated that 3,600 miles of Colorado highways and major roads are in need of repair.

$225 million for bridge replacement and repairs, including work on some of the 46 bridges in Colorado in need of work.

$917 million to improve public transportation. As the population of Colorado grows, efficient, accessible public transportation is a priority.

$57 million to support the expansion of an electric vehicle charging network throughout the state, already a priority for Governor Polis and the state legislature.

A minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state.

The IIJA will cost roughly $1.2 trillion, $550 billion of which is new spending with the remainder comprised of spending already allocated.