Owens Secures More Than $2.5 Billion for Utah in BUILD America 250 Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  After a 14-hour marathon markup in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) today celebrated the passage of the BUILD America 250 Act, a landmark, bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill that delivers more than $2.5 billion in funding for Utah infrastructure projects.

“This is what teamwork looks like. After months of work and 14 hours in the committee room, we got the job done and passed the BUILD America 250 Act with a bipartisan 62-2 vote. That was no small feat, and I applaud Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, and their staff, for the months of work they put into this bill. I was grateful to work closely with both of them and their staff, and want to publicly thank them for working with my team and I to ensure that Utah’s voice and priorities were heard and considered. With this team effort, I was able to help secure what’s estimated to be more than $2.5 billion in funding for Utah. Not for some radical Green New Deal scam, but for historic investments in roads, bridges, and real infrastructure that Utah families and our economy depend on every day. ”

Rep. Burgess Owens

This funding reauthorization bill comes to Congress once every five years. This bill, among other things, created the first federal framework for autonomous commercial motor vehicles, cracks down on CDL mills, and enacts permitting reforms that will cut red tape and streamline the process to get dollars working faster on infrastructure projects.

T&I Republicans also ensured that more than 90% of the funds for highways in this bill are disbursed by formula, affirming the principle that states know best how to address their unique infrastructure needs while consolidating, eliminating, and defunding Biden-era programs that were duplicative and focused on Democrats’ Green New Deal programs instead of investing in real infrastructure. 

Rep. Owens’ Wins for Utah

Through negotiations and bipartisan efforts, Rep. Owens successfully led a bipartisan amendment to reform how the Federal Transit Administration evaluates Capital Investment Grant (CIG) projects, which will help states in fast-growing regions like Utah compete better for federal dollars. The amendment passed the Committee unanimously by a voice vote.

For too long, CIG evaluation metrics have heavily favored older, densely populated metropolitan systems with established ridership patterns, putting rapidly growing Western states at a disadvantage. Rep. Owens led the charge to help level the playing field for communities experiencing major population growth and preparing for future transportation demand.

The amendment provides additional flexibility for project sponsors to account for population growth trends and transit-oriented development planning when forecasting ridership and evaluating project cost-effectiveness. The reform ensures fast-growing regions like the Wasatch Front can compete more fairly for federal transit investments without disadvantaging existing transit systems.

The effort received bipartisan support from Western lawmakers and reflects Utah’s growing role as a national leader in transportation planning and infrastructure development.

Rep. Owens also fought to strengthen metropolitan planning funding to help fast-growing communities like Utah prepare for future transportation needs. Increased support for Metropolitan Planning Organizations will help Utah improve mobility, reduce congestion, and coordinate long-term infrastructure investments as the state prepares for continued growth and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

By the Numbers

Through the BUILD America 250 Act, Utah is estimated to receive: 

• $2,575,745,826 in total highway apportionments (Nearly $182 million more than in the IIJA)
• $92,065,659 per year to support the rehabilitation and construction of bridges in the State.
• $10,011,720 in dedicated funding to install lifesaving protective devices and eliminate hazards at crossings.
• $93,936,375 in core transit apportionments (urban and rural) for FY27

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