Open California 2026 Solutions for Congested Corridors competition
The California Transportation Commission is accepting competitive project nominations to reduce congestion and improve access, safety, environmental quality and mobility on heavily traveled corridors. The 2026 Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) provides applicant-facing capital infrastructure financial assistance for projects programmed in FY2027-28 and FY2028-29, not procurement contracts for vendors.
Eligible applicants and award funding
Eligible nominators are regional transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, Caltrans, and authorities responsible for a regional transportation improvement program under Government Code Section 14527. Joint nominations are encouraged. The individual applicant or project award maximum is not published in the adopted 2026 guidelines. The program has a $500,000,000 two-year base allocation, with a stated $549,555,000 programming capacity after prior-cycle adjustments. Neither amount is an individual grant award.
Project requirements and restrictions
Eligible projects include transportation construction that reduces congestion, adds reliable transit and rail capacity, improves safety, supports zero-emission public transportation, improves complete streets or bicycle and pedestrian access, and delivers multimodal improvements in high-volume corridors. Eligible nominations must be in a comprehensive multimodal corridor plan and currently adopted regional transportation plan by program adoption, have completed environmental processes, substantiate project funding commitments and independent corridor benefits, and be ready to begin construction by December 31, 2029. Only the construction phase of a capital project may receive SCCP funding. The program may not supplant previously committed funds or cover later cost overruns. No mandatory matching contribution is required, although leveraging eligible committed funds is encouraged. Payments are reimbursement-based for qualifying costs incurred after Commission allocation and Caltrans agreement; preallocation costs are not reimbursable.
November 19 deadline and instructions
Project nominations are due Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). The adopted guidelines require an electronic nomination package emailed to SCCP@catc.ca.gov. Include a signed agency cover letter, concise project fact sheet, corridor plan self-certification, project scope and schedule, environmental documentation, evaluation performance measures, funding plan, electronic Project Programming Request and other Appendix A supporting materials. Submit an ADA-accessible remediated PDF package with hyperlinked table of contents and ordinarily no more than 35 pages of project nomination excluding appendices.
Controlling primary sources
The California Transportation Commission adopted August 20, 2026 SCCP Guidelines (74-page PDF) control applicant eligibility, matching and reimbursement, detailed application rules and restrictions. Consult the 2026 SCCP program page and CTC’s 2026 submission deadline announcement. Research verified October 31, 2026.