New SMART Infrastructure Act Mandates Digital Twins and Slashes Project Review Timelines by 25%

The SMART Infrastructure Act of 2025 is looking to drag federal transportation permitting into the 21st century by replacing stacks of paper with sophisticated digital models. At its core, this bill mandates two major changes for covered transportation infrastructure projects: the adoption of “digital twin” technology and the creation of a centralized electronic portal for environmental reviews. The big payoff? Any project that uses both technologies becomes an “eligible project” and gets a guaranteed fast-track, aiming to cut the time it takes for environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by at least 25% (SEC. 6).

The Rise of the Digital Twin

If you’ve ever worked on a major project, you know how messy communication can get when everyone is looking at different versions of a plan. A “digital twin” is essentially a high-fidelity, 3D digital model of a project—think of it as a video game version of a new bridge or highway, complete with real-time data integration. The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to set guidelines within 18 months for using these digital twins in permitting, ensuring they use open application programming interfaces (APIs) so different software can talk to each other (SEC. 4). This means that instead of squinting at a complex PDF, regulators, engineers, and the public could potentially view a dynamic model that simulates everything from traffic flow to environmental impact. For the construction worker, this means fewer change orders; for the engineer, it means better planning; and for the taxpayer, the promise is reduced risk and faster delivery.

Moving NEPA Reviews Online

Alongside the digital twin mandate is the creation of the e-NEPA portal (SEC. 5). Right now, the NEPA process—which ensures federal projects consider their environmental impact—is often a bureaucratic black hole of documents and interagency emails. The e-NEPA portal is designed to be a centralized, web-based platform for submitting, tracking, and reviewing all environmental documents. Starting by January 1, 2028, all federal agencies involved in a covered project must use this portal. This means that instead of juggling documents between the Department of Transportation, the EPA, and others, everyone uses a single source of truth. Critically, the portal must also include a public interface where people can access non-sensitive documents, track project timelines, and submit public comments digitally, which should make the process more transparent for everyday citizens.

The Speed vs. Scrutiny Trade-Off

The most tangible impact for the public is the mandated acceleration of timelines. The bill requires the Secretary to use all available authority to reduce environmental review times for eligible projects by at least 25% (SEC. 6). This is the bill’s core promise: faster infrastructure delivery. However, this is also where the potential trade-off lies. While everyone wants new roads and transit built faster, the NEPA review process exists to ensure projects don’t accidentally pave over wetlands or destroy critical habitats. Cutting 25% off the review time is a huge win for project developers, but environmental advocates will be watching closely to ensure that “streamlined” doesn’t translate into “rushed.” The bill tries to mitigate this by requiring the digital twins to model environmental impacts and the portal to integrate real-time visualizations, suggesting that better technology should lead to faster and better review.

Who This Impacts

This act primarily affects the federal agencies that manage transportation projects and the private companies that build them. For the average person, the impact is two-fold: First, if this works, major infrastructure projects—like a new highway interchange or a modernized rail line—could move from planning to construction much faster. Second, the e-NEPA portal theoretically makes it easier for you, the citizen, to track what’s happening in your neighborhood. You won't need to dig through obscure government websites; the portal promises a centralized location to find project status and submit comments. However, as the system shifts toward digital platforms for public engagement, we need to ensure that communities without reliable internet access or digital literacy aren't inadvertently left behind in the process. The success of this modernization hinges on whether the new technology truly improves coordination and transparency without sacrificing the necessary environmental oversight.