The recent influx of federal infrastructure dollars continues with the White House’s announcement that $1.5 billion in grant funding will be made available for 2024 through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.
This program is designed to help fund projects with significant local or regional impact, specifically those that may be harder to support through other U.S. Department of Transportation grant programs, according to a press release on the U.S. DOT's website.
Half of the funding will go to projects in rural areas, while the other half will go to projects in urban areas. At least $15 million in funding is guaranteed to go towards projects located in Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities, and projects located in these areas will be eligible for up to 100 percent federal cost share, as directed by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Across the country, I have seen firsthand how projects funded by our RAISE programs are helping communities realize long-held dreams and well-planned visions for better infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “…We are delivering safer, cleaner infrastructure to communities of every size and in every part of the country, creating a new generation of jobs and helping families build generational wealth in the process.”
In 2023, RAISE funding supported 162 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
To qualify for RAISE funding, applicants must undergo a rigorous review process that considers their project based on the criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.
The Department of Transportation encourages applicants to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity, and remove barriers to opportunity.
This funding is just the latest financial support offered by the federal government to infrastructure projects nationwide. The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, kickstarted a boom in new infrastructure construction projects that is expected to continue for several years.
America’s infrastructure scored a C- in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ most recent Infrastructure Report Card. Citing the fact that a water main break occurs every two minutes, and 43% of the nation’s public roadways are in poor or mediocre condition, the ASCE emphasized what many already knew: America’s infrastructure needs immediate and extensive attention.
Starting Off On The Right Note
As more infrastructure dollars become available and the number of new projects increases across the U.S., it’s essential that proper subsurface damage prevention practices are in place to ensure the success of these projects.
That was one of the main takeaways from the Common Ground Alliance’s recently released 2022 DIRT Report, an annual assessment of subsurface damage and near-miss events across North America.
The report notes that there were 213,792 unique reported subsurface damage events in 2022, continuing a three-year upward trend in damages that the CGA says indicates larger problems in the way utility locating and mapping occur on the average jobsite.
In the U.S. alone, unique damages from consistent reporting entities has risen from 146,038 in 2020, to 153,886 in 2021, to 163,726 in 2022.
“With an influx of additional excavation forthcoming because of state and federal infrastructure spending, it is imperative that we address the timelines and accuracy of locating,” the report reads.
How GPRS Services Support Infrastructure Projects
GPRS offers a suite of infrastructure visualization services designed to ensure your projects can be completed on time, on budget, and safe.
Using state-of-the-art technology like ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic locating, 3D laser scanners, and remote-controlled sewer scope inspection rovers, our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers Intelligently Visualize The Built World® both above and below ground so you can cut, core, dig, plan, and design with confidence.
GPRS has achieved and maintained a 99.8%+ accuracy rate on the over 500,000 utility locating, and concrete scanning jobs completed since our founding in 2001. That’s an unparalleled ability to keep you safe when breaking ground, and we’re constantly innovating in our quest to achieve 100% subsurface damage prevention.
The data our Project Managers collect on your site can help you assess not just your project’s safety, but also its environmental sustainability, community impact, and more. And the best part is that this data is always at your fingertips thanks to SiteMap®, GPRS’ revolutionary cloud-based facility management platform.
SiteMap® allows you to review, annotate, and securely share your data from anywhere, anytime, with just the press of a button. Our unique ability to layer your data within SiteMap® means you and your team can see only what you need, exactly when you need it, meaning you can plan, design, communicate, collaborate, and ultimately build better.
When you hire GPRS to complete a utility locate, you receive a complimentary SiteMap® Personal subscription to access and share the data we collected. By controlling your data, you eliminate the chance of subsurface damage derailing your project.
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep you on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize? Click the links below to schedule a service or request a quote today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does GPRS Perform SUE Work?
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) reduces the risk and improves the accuracy of subsurface utility readings. GPRS provides private utility locating services that support SUE, but we do not currently provide a fully comprehensive, in-house SUE service.
What are the Benefits of Underground Utility Mapping?
Having an updated and accurate map of your subsurface infrastructure reduces accidents, budget overruns, change orders, and project downtime caused by dangerous and costly subsurface damage.
How does SiteMap® assist with Utility Mapping?
SiteMap®, powered by GPRS, is the industry-leading infrastructure management program. It is a single source of truth, housing the 99.8%+ accurate utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, and 3D laser scanning data our Project Managers collect on your job site. And the best part is you get a complimentary SiteMap® Personal Subscription when GPRS performs a utility locate for you.
Click here to learn more.
Does SiteMap® Work with my Existing GIS Platform?
SiteMap® allows for exporting of data to SHP, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and DXF directly from any user’s account that either owns or has a job shared to their account. All these file formats can be imported and utilized by other GIS packages if manually imported by the user. More information can be found at SiteMap.com.