The US Department of Defence (DoD) has announced its plans to distribute $299.6m for eight transportation projects to improve access to medical facilities affected by the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process.

The eight projects will improve transit access to medical facilities at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, Maryland; Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

Montgomery County will receive $40m to build an underground tunnel connecting Walter Reed with the Medical Center Metro station in Bethesda while Maryland State Highway Administration will receive $48.9m to improve four intersections near the newly expanded campus.

The project is expected to start in 2013 and will take three years to complete.