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SANDAG explains the local impact of the $1.2T infrastructure bill

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been earmarked for what are being called “shovel ready” projects across the country.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego Association of Governments held a media availability on Wednesday to share more about how the $1.2T infrastructure bill will impact San Diego.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been earmarked for what are being called “shovel ready” projects across the country. Those projects could include ports and roads as well as combatting climate change.

Biden is in Baltimore on Wednesday touting the money that he says is headed to United States shipyards and ports.

In San Diego, SANDAG is hoping to cash in on the investment with their own shovel-ready projects and long-term plans. They say they are identifying and rounding the projects up in order to compete for the federal money available.

However, the competition will not be easy. There are a number of communities looking to improve roads, bridges and many other aspects of their infrastructure. SANDAG says that they have been very successful in the past when advocating for state and federal money.

A SANDAG spokeswoman said, “We have some really good projects that would be eligible for this funding. Some of them include a third border crossing in Otay Mesa which could be a huge economic generator for the region.

Other marquee projects SANDAG has identified include a rail line to Los Angeles and State Route 11.

SANDAG says it could be quite a while until they know if they get any money from the government and if they do receive some, how much it will be. That is similar to the message the federal government is sending out as well.

According to the White House, California could see about 45.5 billion dollars. SANDAG officials tell News 8 despite the competition, they are confident they will get a good portion of that money due to how many 'shovel ready' projects we have in the region.  They're hoping federal funding will also help pay for projects included in their proposed 2021 regional plan.

"We would hope to start getting that money within the next couple of years.  We do not know how much but we want to get as much as we possibly can," said SANDAG Direcor of Regional Planning, Coleen Clementson.

WATCH RELATED: Proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan could benefit San Diego (April 2021)

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