The federal government has offered up $1.2 trillion for infrastructure spending, and entities across the country — including in the Kansas City area — are excited for the potential. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed in November, targets critical infrastructure — the types of projects that meaningfully affect people’s everyday lives, spanning transportation, power, water, broadband internet access and more. Kansas and Missouri are slated for more than $12 billion over the next five years. However, reaping true, long-lasting benefits from those funds will require cooperation across geographic and political boundaries and across the public and private sectors, plus a thoughtful vision of the future… While the five-year spend is huge — “really the largest in a generation” — not all of those dollars are up for grabs, said Julie Lorenz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation and IIJA infrastructure coordinator for the state. About 60% of the money made available through the IIJA will flow through federal agencies to lower levels of government. But 40% of the money is discretionary, meaning entities must apply. There’s a temptation to apply for everything all at once, but that’s not the most effective approach.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
