The Federal Highway Administration has approved a total of $4.72 million in grants to six states to speed up construction projects, thereby reducing congestion.

The funds are “critical” for minimizing delays, FHWA Administrator Richard Capka said in a press release.

The program is called “Highways for Life.”

Funds will be distributed as follows:

• New York – $1 million for night work and the use of pre-cast bridge slabs instead of cast-in-place slabs on 15 bridges on Interstate 88;
• North Dakota – $1 million for concrete overlay known as “whitetopping” instead of asphalt on a section of U.S. 2 from Berwick to Rugby;
• Utah – $1 million for off-site prefabrication of several bridge components during replacement of state Route 266 bridge over Interstate 215;
• Maryland – $800,000 for replacement of two bridges on Maryland 28 and Maryland 725 using pre-cast structures;
• Virginia – $600,000 for night work and prefabrication of bridge components for the Route 15/29 bridge in Prince William County; and
• Montana – $320,000 to install polymer linings in existing culverts to extend their life and avoid replacement.

In addition, FHWA officials said states will not have to come up with a certain amount of funding to match or qualify for the grants.

In the fist half of 2007, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Missouri, Oregon and Virginia received a similar amount of funding to speed up bridge projects.