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6 • FEBRUARY 2023 THE NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
BRIDGES cont. from Page 1
currently raise costs for American families.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
said safe, modern bridges “ensure that
first responders can get to calls more quickly,
shipments reach businesses on time, and
drivers can get to where they need to go.
The Biden-Harris Administration is proud
to award this historic funding to modernize
large bridges that are not only pillars of our
economy, but also iconic symbols of their
states’ past and future.”
The First Large Bridge Project Grants,
awarded in Fiscal Year 2022, are as follows:
Brent Spence Bridge
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
will receive $1.385 billion to rehabilitate and
reconfigure the existing Brent Spence Bridge
to improve interstate and local traffic flow
between the interconnected Kentucky and
Ohio communities on either side of the Ohio
River.
The current bridge is the second worst
truck bottleneck in the nation and carries
more than $400 billion in freight per year, according
to the FHWA.
The project includes construction of a
new companion bridge immediately west of
the existing bridge to accommodate interstate
through traffic on two bridge decks, and
complete reconstruction of eight-mile interstate
approach corridors both in Ohio and
Kentucky, replacing 54 additional bridges.
The project will separate Interstate 75
traffic from local traffic, making commutes
quicker and improving freight passage along
this critical corridor.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and
Transportation District in California will receive
$400 million to replace, retrofit and install
critical structural elements on the Golden
Gate Bridge to increase resiliency against
earthquakes.
iStock Photo
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in California will receive $400 million to replace,
retrofit and install critical structural elements on the Golden Gate Bridge to increase resiliency against earthquakes.
The Golden Gate Bridge is vital to an estimated
37 million vehicles crossing the bridge
per year, including 555,000 freight trucks, as
well as waterborne commerce through the
Golden Gate Strait connected to the Port of
Oakland.
The improvements will ensure the structural
integrity of a vital transportation link
between San Francisco and Marin County.
This bridge allows for the movement of people
and freight along the California Coast
and is a critical link for bicyclist and pedestrian
traffic in the region.
Gold Star Memorial Bridge
The Connecticut Department of Transportation
will receive $158 million to rehabilitate
the northbound structure of the
Gold Star Memorial Bridge, which is part of
the Interstate 95 corridor over the Thames
River between New London and Groton,
Connecticut.
The bridge carries five lanes of traffic and
42,600 vehicles per day and is a vital connection
on the I-95 corridor for people and
goods traveling between New York and New
England. The rehabilitation will address
structural repairs, increase load capacity and
eliminate a load restriction for overweight
vehicles. Additionally, the project will add
a new multi-use path to foster bike-sharing
and pedestrian access to transit services.
Calumet River bridges
The City of Chicago, Illinois, will receive
$144 million to rehabilitate four bridges over
the Calumet River on the Southside of Chicago.
The Calumet River connects Lake Michigan
with the Lake Calumet Port District
which is further connected to the Illinois
River providing access to the Gulf of Mexico.
Each bridge lifts an average of 5,000 times
per year, providing continuous and safe access
for marine traffic to and from the Port
and surrounding industry.
Rehabilitating these bridges ensures that
communities on either side of the river remain
connected and the bridges continue
to function to allow barge and ship traffic to
traverse to the Illinois International Port and
beyond. The project will eliminate a load restriction
and truck detours. It will also add
dedicated bike lanes and improved sidewalks
to support community connections.
In addition to the four FY22 Large Bridge
Project Grants, FHWA also announced an
additional Bridge Planning grant to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers in the amount
of $1.6 million to advance critical planning
work in support of replacement of the
Bourne and Sagamore Bridges over the Cape
Cod Canal.
The project will improve the flow of roadway
traffic between Cape Code and mainland
Massachusetts. The bridges provide the only
means of vehicular access across the canal.
The bridges are currently in poor and fair
condition, at risk of falling into poor condition.
Replacing these bridges will improve
their condition and provide for bicycle and
pedestrian access, eliminating a gap in the
current network. This $1.6 million planning
grant comes in addition to $18.4 million in
Bridge Planning Grants awarded in Fall 2022.
“These first Large Bridge grants will improve
bridges that serve as vital connections
for millions of Americans to jobs, education,
health care and medical care and help
move goods from our farms and factories,”
said Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly
Setting attainable goals
for diet, exercise makes it
easier to lighten your load
THE TRUCKER
TRAINER
BOB PERRY
Is it time to lighten your load? I don’t mean
the freight you are hauling. Are you personally
overloaded?
When you go through the truck scales with
too much weight, there’s a price to pay. You
have to lighten the load. That’s much like your
personal health: If you don’t manage your
weight, there’s a price to pay. If you’re over a
healthy body weight, it can lead you down the
wrong road to many health issues.
Excess weight increases your risk of hypertension,
diabetes and sleep deprivation
— three medical issues that could cost your
CDL … and your livelihood. When you carry
around extra pounds, you can have trouble
staying active and have low energy.
You know it’s just not drivers who struggle
with being overweight. In general, obesity is a
national concern in the US. Did you know that
almost three out of four adults are considered
overweight?
Personal issues can affect weight gain by
Trottenberg. “And over the next four years we
will be able to fund construction for the pipeline
of shovel ready projects we are creating
through Bridge Planning Grants.”
Large Bridge Project Grants under the
Bridge Investment Program are available for
bridges with total eligible project costs over
$100 million, with minimum grant awards
of $50 million, and maximum grant awards
of 50 percent of the total eligible project
costs. As part of the selection process for
this first round of grants, priority consideration
was given to projects ready to proceed
to construction, as well as those that require
pre-construction funding and would benefit
from a multi-year grant agreement.
“The Bridge Investment Program reflects
President Biden’s commitment to rebuilding
our nation’s infrastructure and represents a
historic reinvestment in our economy,” said
FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “These
Large Bridge Project Grants are going to
projects that are construction ready and will
have a real impact for vehicles, transit, pedestrians
and bicyclists traveling on America’s
roadways who will benefit from these
improvements for decades to come.”
Additional information about FHWA’s
Bridge Investment Program, including Large
Bridge Project Grants and Bridge Planning
Grants, can be found at fhwa.dot.gov/
bridge/bip. 8
making you want to eat more and feel less
motivated to exercise. Time away from your
family, work situations, economic problems,
the loss of loved ones and a host of other factors
that cause stress can contribute to weight
gain. Sometimes you need to take the time to
reflect. Try to identify the stress points going
on in your life that may derail your good intention
talking on a healthier lifestyle and focus
on how to address them. Weight gain is sometimes
a result of these stress “buttons.”
How can you lighten your load — and keep
the weight off ? Here are some key points you
may find helpful.
1. Find a health program that matches
your lifestyle, your likes, your interests and
your goals.
2. Find the exercise you WILL do — not the
exercise you SHOULD do. Look for something
you will stick with.
3. Don’t over-commit yourself. Set realistic
goals.
4. Finally, stay positive, and understand
there are going to be setbacks. Staying positive
and learning from any setbacks will produce
lasting results.
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry
has played a critical role in the paradigm shift
of regulatory agencies, private and public sector
entities, and consumers to understand the
driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at
truckertrainer@icloud.com. 8