The Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) is urging Congress to pass a new long-term surface transportation authorization, using the replacement of Louisiana's Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge as the first in a series of case studies highlighting the benefits of sustained federal infrastructure investment.

Released ahead of the end-of-September surface transportation reauthorization deadline, the coalition's new report examines how federal transportation funding can improve safety, reduce freight bottlenecks, strengthen supply chains, and support economic growth. Additional case studies will spotlight transit projects along Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas and Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, among other projects nationwide.

The inaugural case study focuses on the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles, a key freight link between Houston and New Orleans. According to the coalition, the existing 135-foot-high bridge is structurally deficient and no longer meets modern interstate design standards. The bridge has become one of the nation's most significant freight bottlenecks, with merging traffic contributing to more than 560,000 hours of truck delays in 2019 and an estimated $31.5 million in annual costs from lost time, fuel consumption, and vehicle operating expenses.

The replacement bridge will feature six travel lanes, 12-foot shoulders, improved ramps, auxiliary lanes, and enhanced lighting designed to improve safety and mobility. The coalition estimates the project will:

• Generate $3.29 billion in economic output within the Lake Charles metropolitan area.
• Create more than 16,000 jobs over its lifecycle.
• Save motorists 115 million hours of travel time.
• Prevent more than 450 crashes.

"The replacement of Louisiana's I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge demonstrates how federal infrastructure investment delivers real benefits for businesses and families across Louisiana and the region," the coalition said. "As Congress considers the next surface transportation reauthorization, projects such as the Calcasieu River Bridge replacement show the lasting value of sustained federal transportation investment."

Why Federal Transportation Funding Must Support Both Highways and Public Transit

While the Louisiana project centers on highway infrastructure, TCC emphasized that the next authorization bill should continue investing across all transportation modes, including public transit.

"Federal funding is essential to ensure a national, multimodal transportation network that can meet the diverse needs of our communities and the evolving demands of our economy," the coalition said, noting that roads, bridges, highways, and public transit function as "one interconnected system" that moves people and goods safely and efficiently.

The coalition also argued that transit investments complement highway improvements rather than compete for funding. In metropolitan areas, transit helps reduce congestion and improve roadway reliability, allowing highways to accommodate better freight movement, commercial activity, and long-distance travel. TCC noted that bus systems, in particular, rely on well-maintained roads and highways to connect riders with jobs, schools, healthcare, and other destinations.

Looking ahead to the next surface transportation authorization, the coalition identified long-term funding certainty as its top priority. It said predictable federal funding enables state DOTs, transit agencies, and local governments to plan multi-year capital projects, modernize aging infrastructure, improve service reliability, and maximize taxpayer investments.

The coalition also called on Congress to maintain, at minimum, 2021 baseline funding levels for both highways and transit while accounting for inflation, recommending funding levels of $84.6 billion for highways and $26.3 billion for transit in fiscal year 2027, with additional increases over the life of the authorization.

According to TCC, the lessons from the Calcasieu River Bridge don’t center on highways.

"Whether it's a new bridge, highway upgrade, expanded transit line, or bus station modernization project, federal infrastructure investments can help deliver better safety, lower costs for American families, and economic growth for an entire region," the coalition said. "That is why a strong 2026 surface transportation reauthorization is essential to ensure America's transportation network remains safe, reliable, and competitive for decades to come."