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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mitt Romney held a news conference at the Willow Green Circle Bridge over Little Cottonwood Creek on Wednesday where he announced the bridge will be replaced as part of roughly $3 billion for Utah from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Romney was one of the senators to negotiate the infrastructure bill and all of that money will pay to rebuild 90 bridges.
The federal government allocated close to $550 billion for road, bridge, public transit, port, and airport projects from the act. It's also eligible to receive more federal funding for projects like double-tracking FrontRunner.
"We haven't been able to help out our local government partners and be able to help fund bridges such as the one that we're standing by right now," said Carlos Braceras, UDOT executive director. "This bridge needs to be replaced, and we are able to with the infrastructure money."
The infrastructure bill was negotiated by a group of senators including Romney.
The state is getting $526 million every year over the next five years for the new bridges.
"It got the infrastructure projects that are high priority put in place. And here in our state, we're seeing bridges replaced, highways replaced," Romney said. "And actually the idea that local bridges like this, which had not been qualified for these dollars in the past, are now able to be able to use this money so that we can improve the quality of life for these communities or maintain it is a good thing."
The Willow Creek Bridge is currently classified as in poor condition. Funding from the bill will allow construction to begin next summer.
"And we in our state ought to be very, very proud of the quality of the work and the capacity of the leadership and the workers that make this team so successful," Romney said.
Correction: A previous headline indicated Sen. Mitt Romney secured $526 million in infrastructure funding in Utah. This amount is per year for five years, totaling roughly $3 billion. The story previously indicated the federal government allotted $1.3 billion for infrastructure. The correct amount is $550 billion.
