126 Highway Improvement Projects Underway or Completed in Rhode Island Thanks to Stimulus Law
WASHINGTON, March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There are currently 52 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-financed highway construction projects underway or completed in Rhode Island involving $121.2 million in funds, according to data released today by the Washington, D.C.-based American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The projects underway or completed have supported or are supporting 3,373 jobs in Rhode Island that would otherwise not exist, says ARTBA Vice President of Economics & Research Dr. Bill Buechner.
ARRA, signed into law on February 17, 2009, provided $48 billion for transportation improvements over two years, including $27.5 billion for highway, bridge and related construction projects nationwide. The law is having significant impacts on the transportation construction industry in all 50 states.
ARRA provided $137.4 million to Rhode Island for highway, bridge and related improvements. This one-time bonus added more than 84 percent to Rhode Island's regular federal highway funds under the current federal surface transportation law -- Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) -- bringing the state's total federal highway funding in 2009 to a record $301.3 million.
According to Buechner, a Harvard-trained economist, another 52 projects have been identified and are slated to be under construction shortly.
The following shows the number of ARRA-financed highway projects and amount obligated in each Rhode Island congressional district.
Congressional District |
Number of projects |
Amount Obligated |
|
1 |
16 |
$51,615,338 |
|
2 |
22 |
$52,979,371 |
|
Multidistrict/Statewide |
21 |
$26,829,850 |
|
A full report can be obtained by contacting ARTBA's Jeff Solsby at [email protected] or 202-289-4434.
For 108 years, ARTBA has represented the U.S. transportation design and construction industry before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, news media and general public.
SOURCE American Road & Transportation Builders Association
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