INVESTING IN AMERICA: U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg Delivers Remarks Celebrating $175 Million Investment to Replace I-95 Lake Marion Bridge in Santee, South Carolina

Santee, SC – Today, U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg joined state and local leaders from South Carolina to celebrate that the South Carolina Department of Transportation received a $175 million grant award Large Bridge Project awards through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program. 

On July 17, the Department of Transportation announced more than $5 billion in Large Bridge Project awards as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. 

The grants will fund the reconstruction, repair, and restoration – using American-made materials – of 13 nationally significant bridges in 16 states that connect communities to jobs and resources, support the economy, and serve as critical corridors for freight travel. These projects will also address important safety issues and make the bridges more resilient to extreme weather, all while creating good-paying jobs. 

The full transcript of Deputy Secretary Trottenberg’s remarks is below:  

Thank you, Congressman [Jim Clyburn]. Well, it is an honor to be here in Santee – my first time. I'm from further north up I-95.   

On behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, Secretary Buttigieg and the U.S Department of Transportation celebrate the kickoff of this amazing project at Lake Marion Bridge replacement. You're going to have to see being here, seeing his believing. I can see the importance of this project, as you've heard, we are so proud at USDOT to be supporting this project with $175 million grant from the Federal Highways Administration. And I think as you've heard this was a competitive program, you all put in a good application, you beat a lot of other places around the country. So, South Carolina DOT, congratulations to you.   

I want to give a few things. First of all, of course Congressman Clyburn. It is a pleasure to be in your district to express the deep appreciation our Administration and our Secretary have had clear leadership and your steadfast partnership. As House Majority Whip, you helped lead the effort to get the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed, and we at the Department are so grateful for the opportunities it has given us to modernize and transform our nation's infrastructure.  

Without your leadership we would not be standing here today to celebrate the Lake Marion Bridge project or the tens of thousands of other projects happening in communities all over the country.   

Senator Lindsey Graham, thank you as well. We wouldn't be standing here without you either. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I have to say, President Biden is proud of. He's proud that it was bipartisan. It's due to Members like you, reaching across the aisle to deliver generational, infrastructure investments – I know right here in South Carolina and all over the country.   

And I think as the Governor noted when ??? got on the phone with Secretary Buttigieg, he may not have said much but it made a big impression. We understood the importance of this project and how important it was to have that bipartisan cooperation.  

And Governor [Henry] McMaster, thank you also for good leadership in partnership, particularly, on infrastructure issues. We know you have embraced the spirit of a bipartisan infrastructure law and we're seeing transformative work here but all over South Carolina as well.   

One of the things I think we love about being part of DOT is we get to work in a bipartisan way with governors like you all over the country for projects that we know were really make a difference in peoples lives and in their communities.  

Secretary [Justin] Powell, thank you for your leadership and partnership. Again, you guys put in an amazing application and obviously won a very important grant. I also want to acknowledge – I know there are many other important state and local elected officials here, and civic leaders, and we know projects like this, it takes a village. You've got these leaders but we know a lot of you here in this audience today, helped make this happen.  

I want to thank the workers who know are going to build this bridge. I can see it's going to be an incredible project and I want to thank the contractors and small businesses that will support them. We know the workers of this region, along with your team at South Carolina DOT, Secretary Powell – you are going to deliver this project on the budget on time.  

We hear from Senator Graham, we want to make sure taxpayer dollars are well spent them and we know that's a proud tradition here in South Carolina, getting things done.   

I also want to take a minute, just to thank my Federal Highways colleagues. Administrator Shaileen Bhatt and his team, some of them are here today. They have worked hard on this project, they're going to continue working hard, and they've been working tirelessly on projects all over the country.   

So, as you heard today, we are thrilled to be part of this project – a bridge that was constructed back in 1968-ish I guess, is going to be expanded lane capacity we're going to need to see on I-95. Also dedicated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. And as the Congressman mentioned, carry those water transmission lines that are going to bring drinking water to communities in Clarendon County.   

We're so excited to be part of the project that that's holistic and obviously is going to bring so many benefits to this region. And like I think you all know; this was part of a larger set of bridge announcements. Again, you were you in rarified company – $5 billion in this announcement going just to 13 projects all around the corner, from Alabama to Washington state. And those projects we're going to doing like we are here – reconstruction, repair, and restoration using American-made materials on 13 projects and 16 states. That we are creating jobs, bringing economic activity, and obviously keeping our supply chains strong with great freight corridors. And they're just part of national infrastructure work from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.   

I just want to give, particularly to our Congressional leaders – we are now at over 60,000 infrastructure projects all around the country in transportation: roads, bridges, rail, transit, airports, and ports. And you know some of the things, water, broadband, you name it.  

They're helping to make our country more prosperous make, our community safer and more sustainable, and now we assume shovels are starting to hit the ground. So let me just end by saying I am proud to be part of an Administration that has answered the call I think we have all had on rebuilding our nation's infrastructure and also proud to be part of an Administration that has worked so closely with communities all across the country, with leaders on both sides of the aisle to deliver the kind of projects that our country needs. So thank you all, it's an honor to be here and can't wait to roll up our sleeves and work closely with you all on this project.