Labor department rolls out 16 new mega construction projects

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The U.S. Department of Labor has added 16 large, new infrastructure projects to the Mega Construction Project Program. Each project is funded by the president’s $2 trillion Investing in America agenda.

In March 2023, the DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) launched the “Megaproject Program” to foster equal opportunities in the construction trades’ workforce and expand access to millions of jobs. A designated Megaproject is worth at least $35 million or more, has federal funding assistance and lasts more than one year.

There’s a total of 40 projects across the U.S. ranging from highway widening, levee reconstruction and port improvements, a DOL map showed. No Wisconsin projects have shown up as Megaprojects yet, but there are four projects funded by different agencies in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan. Those projects are:

• Demolition of the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry facility and construction of a new facility in Grand Portage, Minnesota. The project is owned and funded by the General Services Administration;

• Construction of hydrogen production facilities for steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy duty transportation and sustainable aviation fuel in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy;

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading a cleanup of historical pollution at the Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site; and

• Realignment of Interstate 375 including removal of 15 old bridges in Detroit. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Transportation are leading the project.