In an overwhelming show of support, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a two-year transportation bill valued at $109 billion.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21) Act, passed in a generally bipartisan 74-22 vote, reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 at the 2011 investment level. This follows extensive lobbying efforts by construction industry groups, including the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).

Following the Senate action, ARTBA attention shifts to the House of Representatives, where up for vote will be H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, to reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years. This legislation would make a number of policy and procurement reforms contained in the Senate’s MAP-21 Act and would authorize $260 billion in total investment.