transportation · DOT-FHWA

Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP)

DOT Federal Highway Administration · FHWA-CHBP-26-001

Closed

Award Range

$0 – $55.0M

Total Program Funding

$350.0M

Expected Awards

Deadline

July 27, 2026

GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview

The Federal Highway Administration is giving $350M (15 awards up to $55M each) to states with aging, deteriorating bridges — specifically states that are SMALL/RURAL and have more than 14% of bridges in poor condition. This is massive infrastructure money for bridge repair and replacement. Only states meeting specific population AND bridge-condition criteria are eligible.

Who Should Apply

State DOTs only — and only states with population density 14% of bridges in poor condition. This targets rural states with crumbling bridge infrastructure.

Who Should NOT Apply

Large/urban states (California, Texas, New York likely don't qualify), cities, counties, or private contractors (they'd be hired BY the winning state, not the applicant).

Key Requirements (Plain English)

•Must be a state meeting population AND bridge-condition thresholds
•Must have >14% of total bridges in poor condition
•Must be small/rural (population density <115/sq mi or pop <1.1M)
•Cost-reimbursable grants up to $55M
•Must use funds for bridge repair/replacement

💡 GrantQuick Tip

Check if your state qualifies — the eligibility criteria are mathematical (population density + bridge condition percentages from the National Bridge Inventory). States like West Virginia, Vermont, Iowa, Mississippi, and others with older bridge infrastructure and lower populations are the target. If your state qualifies, this is enormous funding with limited competition (maybe 15-20 eligible states for 15 awards).

Competitiveness: Very low — eligibility criteria limit the pool to ~15-20 states, and 15 awards are available. Most qualifying states that apply will be funded.

What This Grant Funds

This NOFO will award up to $350 million in FY 2026 funding via cost reimbursable grants. The actual amount available to be awarded under this notice will be subject to the availability of funds. Eligible States (See Additional Eligibility information below) with greater than 14 percent of total bridges classified in poor condition are to receive no less than $32.5 million, provided the State submits eligible application(s) with a total value that meets or exceeds $32.5 million. There is no minimum award amount for States that do not meet this condition. No State shall be awarded more than $55 million. Under FY 2026 CHBP, the Federal share of the cost is in accordance with 23 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 120. See Section B for more details. Applicants that do not provide at least the minimum non-Federal cost share will be classified as ineligible.

Attachments

PDF

FINAL DRAFT CHBP NOFO

FINAL_DRAFT_CHBP_NOFO.pdf

PDF

CHBP Application Template

6.24.26_-_FINAL_DRAFT_CHBP_Application_Template.docx

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants under FY 2026 CHBP are States with: • A population density of less than 115 individuals per square mile; or A population of less than 1.1 million individuals; and • Have less than 26 percent of total bridges classified as in good condition; or Have greater than or equal to 4.9 percent of total bridges classified as in poor condition. Population density is calculated based on the latest available data from the decennial census conducted under 13 U.S.C. § 141(a) as of February 3, 2026, the date on which the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2026, Pub. L. 119-75 became law. Resident population density is used. Percentages of bridge counts are based on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) as of June 2024. The percentages are based on the number of bridges throughout the State regardless of ownership, e.g., total number of bridges classified as in poor condition compared to the total number of bridges in the NBI that meet the definition of a bridge on a public road. Based on these requirements, eligible applicants are the States of Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. States that are eligible to receive no less than $32.5 million include Iowa, Maine, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and West Virginia. FY 2026 CHBP projects may only be administered by State Departments of Transportation (State DOT).

Eligible Applicant Types

State GovernmentsOther (see NOFO for details)

Funding Details

Maximum Award: $55.0M
Total Program Funding: $350.0M
Expected Number of Awards: 15
Cost Sharing Required?: Yes
Funding Instrument: grant

Key Dates

Posted: June 26, 2026

Application Deadline: July 27, 2026 (0 days remaining)

No Explanation

Agency Contact

Grants.gov Contact Center Phone Number: 1-800-518-4726 Hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The contact center is closed on federal holidays. support@grants.gov

support@grants.gov

Ready to apply?

View the full NOFO and submit your application on Grants.gov

View on Grants.gov