Dive Brief:
Wait no longer — federal money is now available from a new grant system that state transportation departments can use to fund the use of construction technology, the Federal Highway Administration announced this week.

The FHWA announced that the application period is open for the first year of the $85 million grant program under the $1.2 trillion infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to the release. The Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems grant program will award up to $34 million for combined fiscal years 2022 and 2023, and up to $17 million each fiscal year thereafter, through fiscal year 2026. This is a decrease from previous estimates of $100 million.

The grant program will focus on digital construction methods such as computer modeling and 3D design to encourage state-of-the-art practices in project delivery, the release said. Individual contractors will not be able to apply — instead, the funds will funnel through state DOTs, as well as those in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.