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List of most expensive U.S. public works projects

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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

Below is a list of so-called megaprojects that are among the most expensive in U.S. history.

Highways

The following list includes projects to build new highways or improve existing ones, including roadways, bridges, and tunnels. It includes only projects that are underway or completed. Additionally, projects with multiple independent segments (e.g., I-69 Indiana-Texas Extension, Trans-Texas Corridor) are not included, though individual segments may or may not make the list. Costs shown below exclude financing costs.

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col" | Date

! scope="col" | Price (nominal)

! scope="col" | Reference Year

! scope="col" | Price (ref. year)

! scope="col" | Price

({{Inflation/year|US}} Inflation)

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Project

data-sort-value={{Currentyear}} | 1956–present

| data-sort-value="425000000000" | $425 billion

| 2006

| data-sort-value="425000000000" | $425 billion

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|425000000000|2006|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|425000000000|2006|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| Interstate Highway System

data-sort-value="2006" | 1992–2006

| data-sort-value="14600000000" | $14.6 billion[http://www.bigdig.com Central Artery/Tunnel Project Website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012231400/http://www.bigdig.com/ |date=2007-10-12 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3769829|title=Boston's 'Big Dig' finally opens to public - US news - NBC News|work=NBC News|date=21 December 2003 }}

| 1982

| data-sort-value="8080000000" | $8.08 billion

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|8080000000|1982|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|8080000000|1982|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| Big Dig, Boston, Massachusetts

data-sort-value="2000" | 2000–2022

| data-sort-value="1400000000" | $1.4 billion {{cite web | url=https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/major-projects/i-5-sr-16-tacomapierce-county-hov-program | title=I-5 - SR 16 Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program | WSDOT }}

| 2022

|

|

| I-5 - SR 16 Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program, Tacoma, Washington (Interstate 5 in Washington)

data-sort-value="2013" | 2002–2013

| data-sort-value="6500000000" | $6.5 billion{{ Cite news | url=https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/10/from-250-million-to-65-billion-the-bay-bridge-cost-overrun/410254/ | work=CityLab | title=From $250 Million to $6.5 Billion: The Bay Bridge Cost Overrun | last=Jaffe | first=Eric | date=2015-10-13 | accessdate=2017-09-28 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928174214/https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/10/from-250-million-to-65-billion-the-bay-bridge-cost-overrun/410254/ | archivedate=2017-09-28 |url-status=live }}

| data-sort-value="2013" |

| data-sort-value="6500000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|6500000000|2013|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|6500000000|2013|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Replacement, San Francisco/Oakland, California

data-sort-value="2002" | 1988–2002

| data-sort-value="5000000000" | $5.0 billion[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07117/781451-147.stm, Turnpike panel says high costs imperil Mon-Fayette, Southern Beltway projects, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 27, 2007]

| data-sort-value="2002" |

| data-sort-value="5000000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|5000000000|2002|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Mon–Fayette Expressway, southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia

data-sort-value="2015" | 2012–2019

| data-sort-value="4250000000" | $4.25 billion

| data-sort-value="2015" |

| data-sort-value="4250000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|4250000000|2015|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel, Seattle, Washington

data-sort-value="2020" | 2005–2020 (est.)

| data-sort-value="4100000000" | $4.1 billion (est.)[http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2007/10/louisville-bridges-cost-now-41-billion.html, Louisville Bridges Cost Now $4.1 Billion, The Urbanophile, October 6, 2007]

| data-sort-value="2020" |

| data-sort-value="4100000000" |

| data-sort-value="4100000000" |

| Ohio River Bridges Project, Louisville, Kentucky, and southern Indiana

data-sort-value="2020" | 2020-2025 (est.)

| data-sort-value="3900000000" | $3.9 billion (est.)[https://www.hrbtexpansion.org/documents/hrbt-fact-sheet-2-9.21.pdf HRBT Expansion website]

| data-sort-value="2020" |

| data-sort-value="3900000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|3900000000|2019|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel, Hampton Roads, Virginia

data-sort-value="2007" | 2001–2007

| data-sort-value="3600000000" | $3.6 billion[https://web.archive.org/web/20010617040741/http://tifia.fhwa.dot.gov/fs8.htm Federal Highway Administration, Central Texas Turnpike Fact Sheet]

| data-sort-value="2007" |

| data-sort-value="3600000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|3600000000|2007|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Central Texas Turnpike, area around Austin, Texas

data-sort-value={{Currentyear}} | 2003–2008

| data-sort-value="1500000000" | $1.5 billion

| 2001

| data-sort-value="2800000000" | $2.8 billion (2008){{cite web|url=http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=55761|title=So what is the capacity of the Katy Freeway these days?|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/project_profiles/tx_katyfreeway.aspx|title=FHWA Office of Innovative Program Delivery: Project Profiles|access-date=2015-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090444/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/project_profiles/tx_katyfreeway.aspx|archive-date=2015-09-05|url-status=dead}}

| $3.1 billion

| I-10 Katy Freeway Expansion (Interstate 10 in Texas)

data-sort-value="2011" | 2007–2011

| data-sort-value="2570000000" | $2.57 billion[http://www.iccproject.com/general-faq.php, Maryland Department of Transportation ICC Website]

| data-sort-value="2011" |

| data-sort-value="2570000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|2570000000|2011|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Intercounty Connector, Montgomery County, Maryland

data-sort-value="1997" | 1997–2029

| data-sort-value="1660000000" | $1.66 billion

| 2009

| data-sort-value="2200000000" | $2.2 billion

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|2200000000|2009|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|124548691|1873|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| North Spokane Corridor, Spokane County, Washington

data-sort-value="2008" | 1999–2008

| data-sort-value="2500000000" | $2.5 billion[http://www.wilsonbridge.com Woodrow Wilson Bridge Replacement Website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015063522/http://www.wilsonbridge.com/ |date=2007-10-15 }}

| data-sort-value="2008" |

| data-sort-value="2500000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|2500000000|2008|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| Woodrow Wilson Bridge Replacement, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and southern Maryland

1959–1964

|data-sort-value="320000000" | $320 million

|1964

|

|data-sort-value="2440000000" | $2.44 billion

|Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

data-sort-value="2021" | 2015–2022

| data-sort-value="2300000000" | $2.3 billion{{cite news|last1=Tracy|first1=Dan|title=I-4 Ultimate overhaul gets ceremonial start|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-i4-official-groundbreaking-20150217-story.html|accessdate=18 February 2015|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=17 February 2015}} (est.)

| data-sort-value="2021" |

| data-sort-value="2300000000" |

| data-sort-value="2300000000" |

| I-4 Ultimate corridor reconstruction, Orlando, Florida

data-sort-value="2018" | 2008–2018

| data-sort-value="1800000000" | $1.8 billion{{cite web|url=http://www.i69indyevn.org|title=INDOT I-69: I-69|publisher=}} (est.)

| data-sort-value="2018" |

| data-sort-value="1800000000" |

| data-sort-value="1800000000" |

| Interstate 69 Extension SIU #3, Evansville to Indianapolis, Indiana

data-sort-value="2021" | 2010–2024

| data-sort-value="1600000000" | $1.6 billion{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://wekivaparkway.com/faq.php|website=Wekiva Parkway|publisher=Florida Department of Transportation & Central Florida Expressway Authority|accessdate=18 February 2015}} (est.)

| data-sort-value="2021" |

| data-sort-value="1600000000" |

| data-sort-value="1600000000" |

| Wekiva Parkway, Orlando, Florida

data-sort-value="2016" | 2001–2016

| data-sort-value="1400000000" | $1.4 billion[http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18680869&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7576&rfi=6 COG panel OK with $498M spike in Q bridge cost, New Haven Register, August 9, 2007]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (est.)

| data-sort-value="2016" |

| data-sort-value="1400000000" |

| data-sort-value="1400000000" |

| I-95 New Haven Harbor Corridor Reconstruction, New Haven, Connecticut

data-sort-value="2003" | 1991–2003

| data-sort-value="1200000000" | $1.2 billion{{cite web|url=http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2002/12/16/story1.html|title=Final leg of E-470 nears completion|work=Denver Business Journal}}

| data-sort-value="2003" |

| data-sort-value="1200000000" |

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|1200000000|2003|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} |

| E-470, Denver, Colorado

data-sort-value="1937" | 1933–2007

| data-sort-value="37000000" | $37 million

| 1937

| data-sort-value="37000000" | $37 million

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|37000000|1937|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|37000000|1937|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| Golden Gate Bridge

Rail

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col" | Date

! scope="col" | Price (nominal)

! scope="col" | Reference Year

! scope="col" | Price (ref. year)

! scope="col" | Price ({{Inflation/year|US}} Inflation)

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Project

! scope="col" | Length

data-sort-value="2029" | 2015–2029

| data-sort-value="64200000000" | $64.2 billion (est.)

| 2018

| data-sort-value="64200000000" | $64.2 billion (est.)

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|64200000000|2013|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|64200000000|2013|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}} (est.)

| California High-Speed Rail (Phase 1)

| data-sort-value="520" | 520 miles (837 km)

data-sort-value="2025" | 2006–2025

| data-sort-value="30000000000" | $4 billion (est.)

| 2006

| data-sort-value="90200000000" | $12.4 billion (est.)

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|9020000000|2020|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|9020000000|2020|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}} (est.)

| Skyline

| data-sort-value="20" | 20 miles (32 km)

1964–1976

| data-sort-value="1588000000" | $1.588 billion

|1976{{cite journal|last1=Webber|first1=Melvin|title=The BART experience: what have we learned?|date=1976|pages= 93|url=http://www.nationalaffairs.com/doclib/20080527_197604505thebartexperiencewhathavewelearnedmelvinmwebber.pdf|accessdate=31 May 2016}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

| data-sort-value="1586000000" | $1.586 billion

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|1586000000|1976|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1586000000|1976|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

|Bay Area Rapid Transit (Initial System)

| data-sort-value="109" | 109 miles (175 km)

data-sort-value="1869" | 1863–1869

| data-sort-value="124548691" | $124,548,691{{cite web|url=http://cprr.org/Museum/FAQs.html#Cost|title=Frequently Asked Questions about the Transcontinental Railroad|publisher=}}

| 1873

| data-sort-value="124548691" | $124,548,691

| data-sort-value={{Inflation|US|124548691|1873|{{Inflation/year|US}}}} | ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|124548691|1873|{{Inflation/year|US}}}}}}

| First transcontinental railroad

| data-sort-value="1868" | 1,868 miles (3,006 km)

See also

References

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{{Most Expensive}}

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Category:Economy-related lists of superlatives

Category:United States transportation-related lists

Public Works, US