Infrastructure bill passes, hailed by Conn. senators

It will be months before Connecticut’s share of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure legislation makes its way to Connecticut’s roads, bridges and train lines following the historic, bipartisan 69-30 vote Tuesday in the United States Senate.

“It’s an investment that will more than pay for itself,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who along with Sen. Chris Murphy, also D-Conn., and state Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti spoke with reporters minutes after the Tuesday morning Senate vote. “When this bill passed there was a lump in my throat. It was bipartisan in the best sense of the word. This bill is one of the main reasons I came to Washington, D.C., to do this job.”

“It’s the biggest one-timeever investment in American infrastructure,” Murphy said. “That’s a big deal. It’s a big deal for the country because it allows us to be competitive with emerging nations like China, which is making massive investments in infrastructure. It’s a big deal for American citizens who have been hamstrung by ailing and aging roads and bridges and rail lines that snarl up their commutes and take time away from loved ones.”

While Connecticut stands to get about $5.4 billion for roads, bridges, electric vehicle charging stations and the expansion of broadband internet access, there will be about $30 billion for regional rail programs coming, which all three officials predicted will be a gamechanger, until even more money is invested in highspeed rail. There are also major investments in renewable energy and cleaner transportation, as well as $106 million to clean up both the New York and Connecticut sides of Long Island Sound.

Murphy said that $75 billion to improve electric transmission lines throughout the nation will include regional improvements to assist Connecticut’s renewable-energy programs.

But before the House takes final action on the infrastructure bill, the Senate will have to have complete the even larger $3.5 trillion budget resolution bill, which Democrats can pass with their slim majority, over the coming weeks, meaning that money will not flow into Connecticut until at least the fall.

Giulietti said another $100 billion in transit grants will be available on a competitive basis.

“It’s an exciting moment for Connecticut,” he told reporters, stressing that as many as 1.7 million new jobs may be generated. “I built my career on rail, and we haven’t seen a federal investment in passenger rail like this since the creation of Amtrak,” he said, stressing that aging bridges will be fixed, along with major bottlenecks on interstate highways.

Blumenthal said that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wants to pass both pieces of legislation in tandem this fall, so by the end of the year and the beginning of 2022, the billions will start flowing into Connecticut.

“There’re some new programs in here that may take some time for the administration to set up, but much of this funding flows into existing grant programs,” Murphy said.

“It’s not just about getting the infrastructure up there,” Giulietti said. “It’s also about looking at how do we improve that infrastructure, which goes along with what the governor wants to see: faster speeds and a safer, better system all the way through.”