In a joint press conference Monday morning, leaders of Shreveport discussed the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant.

"This $22 million grant is truly going to be the next step in transforming Kings Highway," said President and CEO of BRF John F. George Jr., M.D.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation announced Thursday that the Biden Administration has awarded $63.1 million to support five projects in Louisiana.

Shreveport was chosen out of a handful of cities in Louisiana to be awarded this grant, that will invest in $22,164,000 into improvements in public transit and infrastructure in the healthcare corridor. “We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible and more sustainable,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a prior statement with the Shreveport Times.

The Shreveport General Fund will also match the grant by 20%, bringing $5,541,000 to this investment.

More: Shreveport to get $22.2 million to build and improve parts of the interstate

"The projects that will be developed with these grant dollars will directly contribute to the City of Shreveport and its efforts to expand affordable transportation choices for our underserved citizens. Offering new and faster ways to connect between some of the most heavily used transit stops in the Shreveport-Bossier area. The corridor is critical to the regions economy because the good paying jobs and our partners investment and high growth initiatives. Ultimately these dollars will not only create opportunities for the City of Shreveport, but it will create opportunities for our entire region," said Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins.

This project is a shared vision by both public and private partners. Partners such as the LSU School of Allied Health Professions, Ochsner LSU Health, Willis-Knighton, Biomedical Research Foundation (BRF) Shreveport and Shriners Hospital for Children; will be investing more than $300 million into this area over the next five years.

With this 22 million grant, improvements on this corridor will bring new services, innovations and employment opportunities, by bringing key improvements to roadways and transit infrastructure.

"This grant means that we're looking to transform and be transformational in this corridor," said Dinero’ Washington, CEO of SporTran. "One thing about public transit that we have looked at is how do we partner to benefit our community and make our community more equitable."

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Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport will receive $22 million for improvements to infrastructure