Highway, Street & Bridge Construction NAICS 237310

Jul 17, 2026 - DOT Awards Funding for Highway, Bridge Projects

• According to Construction Dive, the US Department of Transportation awarded $1.73 billion in 2026 BUILD grants for 127 transportation projects, with $1.3 billion, or 77%, directed to roads and bridges. The funding, provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also supports transit, ports, freight and passenger rail, truck parking, and aviation infrastructure. Demand far exceeded available funding, with nearly 1,200 applications requesting more than $14.5 billion. The emphasis on road and bridge improvements, including pavement upgrades and safety enhancements, could create additional bidding opportunities and strengthen project backlogs for the highway, street, and bridge construction industry.
• In May, John Deere demonstrated a connected roadbuilding system that links milling equipment, pavers, rollers, and the John Deere Operations Center to share real-time production and quality data throughout the pavement rehabilitation process, according to Engineering News-Record. The system is designed to improve quality control, automate project documentation, enhance operator efficiency, and help contractors address labor shortages through digital tools. Deere also showed digital coring, which could reduce destructive pavement testing if transportation agencies approve its use, and mobile crushers that recycle reclaimed asphalt on the jobsite. For the highway, street, and bridge construction industry, wider adoption of these technologies could improve pavement quality, reduce project costs, increase worker safety, and streamline compliance with owner documentation requirements.

• According to Engineering News-Record, leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a roughly $580 billion proposal, the BUILD America 250 Act, to guide federal transportation investment through fiscal 2031 after the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) expires. The bill emphasizes formula funding, with more than 90% of highway funds distributed that way, aiming to speed project delivery and give states greater flexibility. Industry groups support the predictability but question whether it preserves IIJA-era funding certainty. About $474.4 billion would come from Highway Trust Fund authority, while $106 billion would rely on future appropriations, according to analysis by law firm Holland & Knight. The proposal would also eliminate some climate programs, add fees on electric vehicles, and raise review thresholds to streamline approvals, while economists caution that private financing cannot replace sustained federal spending.
• Ferrovial Construction sees growing opportunities for alternative project delivery methods as infrastructure demand outpaces public funding, according to Construction Dive. Pepe Baraja, Ferrovial's CEO for the US and Canada, said the company’s new $1.47 billion design-build contract for the Grand Parkway Segment B-1 southeast of Houston reflects increasing pressure on agencies to accelerate transportation projects despite budget constraints. Baraja said that design-build contracts and public-private partnerships can create long-term value by aligning builders’ responsibilities with asset performance. At the same time, population growth in Sun Belt markets continues to drive demand for large-scale transportation infrastructure.