BIT3 Grant: 100% Federal Funding for County Type 3 Bridges (FY 2026)

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Type 3 Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation (BIT3) Competitive Grant Program offers a rare deal for the counties that qualify: 100% federal funding, with no local match required, to replace or rehabilitate aging bridges that cross Bureau of Reclamation water infrastructure. If your county owns a bridge over a Reclamation canal, dam, or other water conveyance structure, this FY 2026 opportunity is worth a close look.

What Is the BIT3 Program?

The BIT3 Competitive Grant Program funds the replacement or rehabilitation of county-owned bridges that are classified as "Type 3" bridges by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and that cross a water conveyance structure owned by USBR. These are bridges that carry public roads over Reclamation-owned infrastructure such as canals, siphons, and dams across the 17 Western Reclamation states.

Many of these crossings were built decades ago and now carry traffic loads and safety expectations they were never designed for. Because the underlying water structure is federally owned but the bridge itself is a county responsibility, these assets often fall into a funding gap. BIT3 is designed to close that gap with dedicated, fully federal funding.

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility for BIT3 is narrow and specific. To apply, you must be:

• A county (the bridge owner) — not a state, city, or special district, and
• The owner of a bridge that is classified as Type 3 by the Bureau of Reclamation, and
• That bridge must cross a water conveyance structure owned by USBR.

USBR structures, facilities, and lands are located in the 17 Western Reclamation states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. If your county is outside these states, or your bridge does not cross USBR-owned infrastructure, it will not qualify under this NOFO.

What Is a "Type 3" Bridge?

The Bureau of Reclamation defines a Type 3 bridge as any non-USBR-owned bridge over 20 feet in length (or a bridge-like structure between 6 and 20 feet) that crosses a USBR dam, associated facility, power facility, or land interest. "Associated facilities" include canals and other carriage, distribution, and drainage systems; pumping and pump-generating plants; tunnels; penstocks, siphons, and pipelines; low-hazard diversion and storage dams and regulating reservoirs; fish passage facilities; river channelization features; rural and municipal water systems; water treatment plants; and recreation facilities. If you are unsure whether your bridge carries this classification, the program contact at BIT3@dot.gov can help you confirm.

What Projects Are Eligible?

BIT3 funds projects for the replacement or rehabilitation of bridges that meet all four of the following conditions:

1. The bridge is owned by a county;
2. The bridge is classified as a Type 3 bridge by USBR;
3. The project is eligible under the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) (23 U.S.C. § 204); and
4. The bridge crosses a water conveyance structure owned by USBR.

Funding and Cost Share

The headline feature of BIT3 is its cost share. Unlike most federal transportation grants, which require a 20% non-federal match, the BIT3 Competitive Grant Program requires no minimum cost share. The federal share is 100 percent of the funds requested for the eligible project scope, up to a maximum award of $25 million.

For cash-strapped rural counties, this is significant: it removes the local-match barrier that often keeps smaller jurisdictions from competing for federal infrastructure dollars in the first place.

How to Apply

Before you can submit, your county must have the standard federal registrations in place. These can take several weeks, so start early:

• An active SAM.gov registration
• A valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
• A Grants.gov account for your organization

With registrations active, build your application around a clear demonstration that your bridge meets all four eligibility conditions, supported by Reclamation's Type 3 classification, the structure's condition data, and a defined scope for replacement or rehabilitation.

Tips for a Competitive Application

1. Confirm Eligibility First

Because eligibility is so specific, the most important early step is verifying that your bridge is officially classified as Type 3 by USBR and crosses USBR-owned infrastructure. Reach out to the program contact to confirm before investing time in a full application.

2. Lead with Condition and Safety Data

Use National Bridge Inventory ratings, inspection reports, and load-posting information to document the structural need. A bridge that is structurally deficient, load-restricted, or functionally obsolete makes a stronger case for replacement funding.

3. Define a Clear, Ready Scope

Specify whether you are seeking replacement or rehabilitation, and provide a realistic cost estimate and schedule. Projects with completed preliminary engineering and a clear path through environmental review present less risk to FHWA.

4. Document Community Impact

Explain who depends on the crossing — agricultural traffic, school bus routes, emergency response, or access to isolated communities. The consequences of a closure or weight restriction help reviewers understand the stakes.

Contact Information

• Program Email: BIT3@dot.gov
• Mailing Address: Federal Highway Administration, Office of Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop E65-103, Washington, D.C. 20590, Attn: Veronica Jacobson
• FHWA Federal Lands: highways.dot.gov/federal-lands

How Avila Can Help

Niche programs like BIT3 reward applicants who can quickly determine whether they qualify and then assemble a tightly focused, requirement-by-requirement application. For county public works staff who rarely write federal grants, that combination of eligibility analysis and narrative development can be a heavy lift.

Avila's AI-powered platform helps local governments streamline the grant application process by:

• Analyzing the NOFO to surface eligibility conditions and scoring criteria
• Helping draft narratives aligned to FHWA's requirements
• Tracking deadlines and required registrations
• Managing the full grant lifecycle from discovery to closeout

Ready to explore how Avila can support your BIT3 application? Book a demo to learn more.

For more on federal grant applications, see our guides on federal grant writing, SAM.gov registration, and Grants.gov registration. For other infrastructure funding, explore our guides to the Culvert AOP Program and the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program.