The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday announced up to $20 million for projects that would share lane closures and other highway conditions across state lines. The grant could help navigation services and freight operators receive more consistent information when a route crosses from one state into another. The department expects to announce awards in early 2027.
The Great American Digital Corridors program will choose the routes through a grant competition. Applications must cover a continuous corridor that connects multiple states, largely on the Interstate Highway System, and include work-zone or lane-closure information in a public feed.
How a closure gets from the highway to a map
A state transportation agency may know that a work crew has closed the right lane on a stretch of interstate. Getting that detail into a map or a dispatcher's system depends on the agency publishing it in a form that the service can read. The Federal Highway Administration says inconsistent data formats make it harder for navigation companies and vehicle manufacturers to use information from different jurisdictions.
Some states already publish this kind of information. Iowa's 511 program offers feeds for traffic events, cameras and electronic message signs, plus a standardized feed for work zones. Massachusetts publishes current highway incidents and a separate feed for planned and active work zones. The new competition asks applicants to make information available across a continuous route. A public feed makes it possible for a mapping service to use the information, but the service still has to incorporate it.
DOT will also consider proposals that use real-time data to ease freight bottlenecks or improve coordination among emergency responders. The funding notice estimates that selected projects could run for one to four years, so an award announcement would come before any new service funded by the grant.
Who can apply and when
States, local and tribal governments, transit agencies, public toll authorities and metropolitan planning organizations are among the eligible applicants. Companies, nonprofits and colleges can apply as part of a consortium with another eligible entity. The federal government can cover the full project cost. The notice estimates awards of $1 million to $8 million, with the actual amounts depending on the applications it receives.
Applications are due Dec. 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, according to the federal grant listing and funding notice. DOT plans to hold an applicant webinar Nov. 23 from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
