Federal Highway Administration passes Recovery Act milestone: $20 billion obligated

Today, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a major milestone--obligating over $20 billion in Recovery Act highway, road, and bridge investments.

Now, that is over 75% of the $26.6 billion set aside by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act back in only February. And, believe it or not, it's not easy work to approve nearly 8,500 projects and get nearly 5,000 of those projects underway in every state and territory in only nine months.

The $20 billion threshold was crossed with the $36 million replacement of the I-25/Alameda Avenue bridge in Denver, Colorado. And this project’s approval was just the cap to one of the busiest months of FHWA spending, with nearly $760 million approved.

So, even though winter is right around the corner, highway and bridge projects are still getting underway, creating thousands of jobs and saving thousands more.

As FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez put it:

"By addressing many long-overdue repairs to America’s roads and bridges, projects like these are improving the economy, enhancing the local quality of life, and strengthening the nation’s infrastructure."

So, I want to take this opportunity to thank the hardworking folks at FHWA and Administrator Mendez.

Through the Recovery Act, that team is working around the clock to repair America's roads and bridges, get this economy moving and put people back to work.

Comments

[Michael E. Bailey]

This is a great milestone for the economy. And it is also great that the money for all of this road and bridge work came from the ARRA funding into the Highway Fund. It should be like that everywhere. Here there is a road project underway to widen Bristol Street in Santa Ana. There is nothing wrong with this project, except one thing. Funding to finance it came from the OCTA Bus Operations Fund instead of the Road Fund. We are looking at the elimination of 300,000 hours of bus service and the elimination of over 25 bus routes and paratransitservice along those routes because of lack of funding in the OCTA Bus Operations Fund. The Transit Advocates ofOrange County has asked the City of Santa Ana to return to the Bus Operations Fund the unused funding they have from Bristol Street--$37.7 million. The OCTA Board of Directors will vote on bus and paratransit funding on November 9th and will make a final vote on bus route eliminations on November 23ed.Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.