Last Friday, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) announced $4.6 million in ferry service improvement funding for the state of Massachusetts. The improvement funding is issued annually by the FHA and determined by formula.

Nearly $3.5 million of Massachusetts’s apportionment will be directed to the Steamship Authority. Steamship Authority spokesperson Sean Driscoll told the Gazette by email that the funding is used for “capital projects,” although it has not yet been earmarked for any specific project. Mr. Driscoll added that the timing of the funds’ arrival is variable.

Massachusetts’s apportionment is one piece part of a larger $172.2 million in FHA funding that will be allocated among 35 states. The largest apportionments will benefit Washington, granted $42.4 million, and Alaska, granted $36.3 million.