Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Unveils ‘America’s Great Corridors of Commerce’ to Transform Highways & Railroads into Multi-Use Arteries to Power Economy of the Future
Building energy & telco infrastructure along existing transportation routes will lower costs for American families, supercharge American manufacturing, and streamline federal permitting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today unveiled America’s Great Corridors of Commerce (AGCC) – a first-of-its-kind, voluntary nationwide opportunity to transform highway and rail corridors into multi-use arteries for transmission wires, fiber optic lines, water pipelines, and other vital utilities. Expanding energy and telecommunications capacity are needed to:
- Ensure more American families have access to affordable energy
- Help high-tech manufacturers build factories of the future
- Slash never-ending permitting timelines
- Create a new revenue stream for infrastructure repair and maintenance
By leveraging public-private partnerships, AGCC will facilitate the rapid build out of this critical infrastructure at no additional cost to the taxpayer and no impact to the safety of existing transportation assets.
How AGCC Will Work:
The initiative will give State Departments of Transportation and railroads the ability to lease "rights-of-way"—the land running alongside roads, tracks or shared space utility tunnels. These rights-of-way owners can partner with private sector “Corridor Managers” to oversee design, development, operation, and maintenance along these routes.
Using existing transportation land instead of acquiring new private property reduces project costs and can leverage categorical environmental exemptions to bypass lengthy reviews. Revenues generated from utility leases will fund repairs and upgrades for the roads, bridges, tunnels, and railroads along the corridor.
“America has always been at the bleeding edge of innovation. But we will lose the race to develop the technologies of the future if we cannot lower costs and get the government out of the way,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “By working with the private sector to combine our existing transportation network with transmission lines, fiber optic cables, and other critical infrastructure, we can make energy more affordable and fuel American industry for generations to come. Under President Trump, we will continue to slash red tape, stop the endless delays, and reverse skyrocketing project costs to get America building again.”
“AGCC is a voluntary program that is all about providing new, efficient, and effective choices to those looking for innovative solutions to build smarter and better integrated corridors,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian, Ph.D. “America can’t wait decades for modern utility and transportation infrastructure. By leveraging our existing transportation rights-of-way and bringing in private sector partners, we are charting an innovative path forward for a new age of infrastructure delivery established on strong partnerships, aligned interests, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, collaboration, and efficiency.”
Why AGCC is Needed:
China has built more high-voltage transmission lines in the last 15 years than the United States has in its entire history – powering their rapid growth in advanced manufacturing and AI technology. While new power plants are coming online in America, transporting affordable energy to growing communities and manufacturing hubs is constrained by the nation's severe lack of transmission grid capacity. Accelerating new transmission projects will ensure the United States can meet its growing energy demands.
A similar challenge exists with fiber optic cables, which are essential to semiconductor production, hyperscalers, smart transportation systems, and other technologies of the future. With demand for fiber expected to double by 2029, the United States must find opportunities to speed up deployment.
The initiative will also help address a multi-trillion backlog of upgrades for existing transportation infrastructure – ensuring roads, tunnels, bridges, and rail lines can leverage private capital to stay online.
Additional Information:
USDOT’s Build America Bureau published a Request for Information (RFI) on the proposed AGCC model and the Department’s approach to implementing AGCC. The RFI is open for comment until September 12, 2026.
The Build America Bureau will select up to five initial priority corridors, provide technical support, streamlined permitting, and P3 models to scale grid infrastructure.
An informational webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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The Build America Bureau accelerates investment in transportation infrastructure by lending federal funds to qualified public and private borrowers; clearing roadblocks for creditworthy projects; and providing technical assistance services and grants to build local and regional capacity to implement best practices and innovative solutions in project planning, funding, financing, delivery, and operations. The Bureau draws on expertise across USDOT to serve as the point of coordination for states, municipalities, private partners, and other project sponsors seeking federal financing.