USDOT launches 'America's Great Corridors of Commerce'

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a voluntary, nationwide program to fast-track infrastructure build-out along highways and rail corridors. The America's Great Corridors of Commerce (AGCC) initiative aims to turn these routes into multi-use arteries for utilities such as transmission wires, fiber-optic lines and water pipelines.

By leveraging public-private partnerships (P3s), AGCC will facilitate the rapid build-out of critical infrastructure at no additional cost to taxpayers and with no impact to the safety of existing transportation assets, USDOT officials said in a press release. The AGCC initiative will give state transportation departments and railroads the ability to lease rights-of-way. Landowners can partner with private-sector corridor managers to oversee the design, development, operation and maintenance of utilities along the routes.

Using existing transportation corridors rather than acquiring new private property for utility build-outs will help reduce project costs and slash permitting timelines. Companies will be able to leverage categorical environmental exemptions to bypass lengthy reviews, USDOT officials said.

AGCC will ensure the United States can meet increasing demand for energy and fiber optics, which are necessary for growing communities, manufacturing hubs, semiconductor production, smart transportation systems and other technologies, officials said. The initiative will also help address the multi-trillion-dollar backlog of upgrades for existing transportation infrastructure, as revenue generated from utility leases can be used to fund repairs and upgrades for the roads, bridges, tunnels and railroads along the corridor.

The USDOT Build America Bureau has published a request for information on the proposed AGCC model and the USDOT's approach to implementing it. The RFI is open for comments until Sept. 12. The bureau will select up to five initial priority corridors, provide technical support, streamlined permitting and P3 models to scale grid infrastructure. An informational webinar will be held Sept. 1.