Looks like 2024 is gonna be a big year for building stuff in America. The Department of Labor just announced 16 new “megaprojects” on April 25th, and ten of them are billion-dollar babies. These are joining a list of 40 other massive projects that are getting direct federal money or help.

So where’s all this cash coming from? Well, the Biden administration is throwing around a cool $2 trillion with their “Investing in America” plan. They’re pulling funds from some big-name laws like the Inflation Reduction Act, that huge infrastructure bill, and the CHIPS Act.

The Labor Department’s bundled all these projects into something they’re calling the Mega Construction Project Program. It kicked off last March, and it’s all about creating fair shots in construction and opening doors to millions of good jobs on these massive federal projects.

Now, you might be thinking, “What counts as a megaproject?” Turns out, the bar’s not that high – anything worth $35 million or more that takes over a year to build makes the cut. 

Let’s Check Out 10 of America’s Newest ‘Megaprojects’

I’ll run you through ten of the biggest and newest megaprojects on the list. We’ll cover what they’re called, who’s in charge, where they’re happening, how much they’ll cost, and what they’re all about (when we’ve got that info).

1. Gateway Program: Hudson Tunnel Project Systems and Fit Out – New York and New Jersey

This rail project’s a real whopper – we’re talking over $16 billion total. But they’ve already locked down $12 billion from the feds, who are covering 70% of the tab. Local partners are picking up the rest.

This phase is all about putting the final touches on a new tunnel under the Hudson River and giving the old 113-year-old tunnels a much-needed makeover. Think new tracks, signals, power systems, the works.

The feds are throwing in $3.8 billion from some fancy rail grant program. The Gateway Development Commission’s running the show, and they’re hoping to wrap it all up around 2035.

2. Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System – California and Nevada

Hold onto your hats – America’s first “real” high-speed train is finally happening! This bad boy’s gonna connect the LA area to Vegas.

Brightline West, a private company, is teaming up with Nevada’s Department of Transportation to make it happen. They’ve scored $3 billion from that big infrastructure bill and another $3.5 billion in bonds from the DOT.

What are they spending all that dough on? Finishing up designs, buying land, and building 218 miles of tracks, four stations, and even the trains themselves. If everything goes smoothly, we might be zooming from LA to Vegas by 2028!

3. Penn Station Access – New York

New York’s transit folks are getting a billion bucks from the DOT to give Penn Station a major facelift. The whole shebang’s gonna cost over $3 billion.

They’re planning to fix up 19 miles of Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, which runs from Penn Station to New Rochelle. We’re talking new signals, fixing up four bridges, building four new rail junctions, five new power stations, upgrading two old ones, and a ton of track work.

They’re breaking ground on four new stations this year, aiming to finish everything up by 2027.

4. Upper Ohio River Navigation – Pennsylvania

The Army Corps of Engineers is taking point on this one, using cash from that big infrastructure bill to seriously upgrade the Montgomery Lock and Dam on the Ohio River.

This project’s all about fixing up the “poor structural condition and inadequate lock capacity for modern navigation tows” near Pittsburgh. Basically, they’re making sure bigger, newer boats can get through safely.

The whole project, including work on two other locks and dams, is gonna cost $2.1 billion and take until 2050. But the Montgomery piece should run just under a billion.

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5. Raleigh to Richmond Rail Upgrade – Phase 1 and 2 in North Carolina and Virginia

While Raleigh’s waiting on its DC connection, they’re not twiddling their thumbs. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation has locked down $1.1 billion to upgrade and build new track from Raleigh to Wake Forest.

This isn’t just about laying down rails – they’re also building 11 overpasses or underpasses and closing a bunch of rail crossings to make things safer. The whole 162-mile stretch should take five to ten years to finish.

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6-9. Four Regional Hydrogen Hub Projects – Midwest, Appalachia, California, and Texas

6. Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen project – Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan

The Heartland Hydrogen Hub’s leading the charge on this one across three Midwest states. They’ve got up to $1 billion in federal cash to build a big hydrogen production and distribution network in the region. They’re looking to use the area’s existing factories and renewable energy to make clean hydrogen for stuff like transportation, steel making, and power plants.

7. HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub – Texas

This Texas project, run by HyVelocity H2Hub, is getting up to $1.2 billion from the feds. They’re planning to use Texas’s massive energy know-how to build a whole hydrogen ecosystem. Given it’s Texas, they’ll probably focus on both green hydrogen from renewables and blue hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture. This could be huge for the state’s chemical, oil refining, and transportation industries.

8. Appalachian Hydrogen Hub – Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia

The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub’s got this three-state project, with up to $925 million in federal money. They’re hoping to shake up the region’s energy scene by using all that natural gas to make low-carbon hydrogen. It could help the area move away from coal and create new clean energy jobs. They’re probably looking at using it for steel mills, power plants, and big trucks.

9. California Hydrogen Hub – California

The Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems is running this show in California, with up to $1.2 billion from Uncle Sam. Given California’s big on fighting climate change and renewable energy, they’ll likely focus on green hydrogen from solar and wind. They’re hoping to clean up transportation, industry, and energy storage. Expect to see some cutting-edge tech like electrolysis and fuel cells.

These projects are getting some serious cash – we’re talking between $925 million and $1.2 billion each – to build hydrogen production facilities. It’s all part of a bigger $7 billion push to get America making hydrogen.

10. Transforming Rail in Virginia Phase 2 – Virginia and Washington DC

Last but not least, Virginia’s rail folks are working on sprucing up tracks, bridges, and stations between Virginia, DC, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

A big chunk of this $2 billion project is building a new bridge over the Potomac to connect DC and Virginia. The feds are pitching in $729 million, and if all goes to plan, we should see this wrapped up by 2030.

And there you have it – a quick run-through of some of America’s biggest upcoming building projects. From bullet trains to hydrogen hubs, looks like we’re in for some big changes in the next few years!

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