For many years, “Infrastructure Week” was something of a joke on Capitol Hill. That changed under President Joe Biden, who made a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law a cornerstone of his administration, ushering in what some say is an “infrastructure decade.”

Last month marked the third anniversary of that legislation, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Now entering its final two years of implementation, the law has already allocated more than $695 billion for more than 74,000 projects across the United States. Key accomplishments include repairs on over 196,000 miles of roads, improvements to 11,400 bridges, and the replacement of 367,000 lead pipes. Yet, despite these successes, $294 billion remains unallocated, including $87.2 billion in competitive grants—a substantial sum that the second Trump administration will oversee.

Despite its protected funding, the IIJA has faced challenges during its implementation. One of the most visible issues is the delay in deploying broadband projects funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. While the program has allocated $42.5 billion, actual construction isn’t expected to begin until late 2025 or early 2026. Zack Perconti, vice president of government affairs at the National Utility Contractors Association, says permitting challenges and slow approvals by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have contributed to the delays.

“Even the IIJA funding is just a drop in the bucket when compared to our nation’s water infrastructure needs,” Perconti said, referencing EPA estimates that put total water infrastructure costs at more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. Programs like the Lead and Copper Rule, which mandates the removal of lead service lines, require significantly more resources than currently allocated. “The IIJA dedicated $15 billion to lead service line replacement, but that isn’t nearly enough,” Perconti noted, adding that NUCA will advocate for Congress to reauthorize SRF funding in future legislation.

The construction industry is also grappling with workforce shortages that could impede the IIJA’s goals. Both Biden and Trump have promoted initiatives to address the labor gap, but their approaches differ. Biden’s focus has been on union apprenticeship programs, while Trump has historically favored more flexible pathways to construction careers. Etchen emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy to attract and train workers.