DOT seeks comment on utility colocation corridors in transport rights-of-way

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through its Build America Bureau, has published a Request for Information (RFI) inviting stakeholders to shape the America’s Great Corridors of Commerce (AGCC) initiative, a public-private partnership (P3) model to colocate electric and communications infrastructure within highway and rail rights-of-way. The notice appears in the Federal Register of September 11, 2026 (Vol. 91, No. 175, Notices section, pp. 57959–57962), under Docket No. DOT–OST–2026–3269, and was signed in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2026. Written comments are due by October 2, 2026.

Background and purpose

DOT created AGCC to address what it calls a national emergency over the inadequate U.S. power grid, citing Executive Order 14156 on the need for a more reliable, diversified and affordable energy supply. The initiative aims to leverage the roughly 160,000 centerline miles of the National Highway System and 140,000 route miles of the U.S. freight rail network as linear rights-of-way where utility colocation can generate revenue to fund transportation improvements and address deferred maintenance.

Under the AGCC model, a highway or rail rights-of-way owner procures a private concessionaire to act as Corridor Manager, responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining dedicated sub-surface channels (via boring or tunneling) and associated infrastructure for a typical term of 30 to 50 years. The concessionaire also acts as business developer, leasing space to utility and telecommunications companies under annual lease agreements.

Designation process and federal support

DOT intends to designate up to five AGCCs per year through an annual Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), screened by an interagency Federal task force led by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Designated corridors would receive dedicated Federal points of contact and “concierge” technical assistance focused on planning, siting, permitting and financing.

• NEPA streamlining: emphasis on using categorical exclusions and expedited environmental review under the One Federal Decision framework.
• Financing tools: access to Build America Bureau TIFIA and RRIF loans and Department of Energy Energy Dominance Financing (EDF).
• Prioritization: longer, multi-state corridors with regional significance would be favored.

Questions for stakeholders

The RFI poses seven questions covering technical feasibility, safety, siting and permitting, funding and financing, cross-jurisdictional coordination, the proposed P3 model, and whether AGCC would accelerate deployment versus traditional greenfield projects. Comments may be submitted electronically via regulations.gov, by email to AGCC@dot.gov, or by U.S. mail to DOT Docket Operations, West Building 5th Floor, Room W58–213, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. The contact is Morteza Farajian, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Build America Bureau.

Why it matters

For utilities, data centers, manufacturers and state transportation agencies, AGCC could shorten the timeline and lower the cost of building the linear power and broadband backbone the economy needs, while turning underused highway and rail corridors into recurring revenue streams. The RFI is a first step: DOT is not yet accepting expressions of interest, but the comments gathered now will shape the designation process and the P3 term sheets that follow.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 175, September 11, 2026, Notices, pp. 57959–57962 (official reference: Docket No. DOT–OST–2026–3269; FR Doc. 2026–18521).