Marietta, GA – Today, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) is announcing the start of “Infrastructure Week” following the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday. Every day this week, McBath will highlight the impact this bill will have on the lives of hard-working Georgia families. Among the historic investments coming to the state, the infrastructure package includes $8.9 billion for highway programs receiving federal aid and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs in Georgia.

“This monumental bill invests in one of the things families in the metro-Atlanta area need most: roads that make it quicker and safer to get to work,” said McBath. “We know how long overdue these improvements are—that’s part of why I was so proud to vote for the passage of this historic bill. We’ve made infrastructure one of our top priorities because it’s about safety, it’s about efficiency, and it’s about providing Americans with roadways and highways that connect them to their everyday lives.”

In Georgia there are 374 bridges and over 2,260 miles of highway in poor condition. The funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will rebuild the roads and bridges in the metro-Atlanta area and across Georgia with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 10.8% in Georgia and each driver pays an average of $375 per year in additional vehicle maintenance costs due to damage incurred while driving on roads in need of repair. This bill is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.