In addition, following a congressional directive, more than $120 million of the total went for projects in rural areas.

Although most of the applications for this year's grants weren’t approved, their sponsoring states or localities could reapply if Congress approves money for TIGER in fiscal year 2013 or beyond. LaHood noted that many of the winners in the fourth round “were turned down on two or three different occasions before they were funded.”

Congress hasn’t made a final decision yet on fiscal 2013 funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended $500 million for the TIGER program in 2013. But the House Appropriations Committee’s version of the 2013 DOT spending bill has no TIGER funds.

Although DOT officially announced the latest grant awards on June 22, news about some of the winners came out earlier, after the department notified senators and House members about the decisions.