66 Highway Improvement Projects Underway or Completed in Montana Thanks to Stimulus Law

News provided by

American Road & Transportation Builders Association

Mar 08, 2010, 04:42 ET

WASHINGTON, March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There are currently 66 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-financed highway construction projects underway or completed in Montana involving $161.6 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 4,595 jobs in Montana 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 $212.5 million to Montana for highway, bridge and related improvements. This one-time bonus added more than 67 percent to Montana'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 $528.3 million.

According to Buechner, a Harvard-trained economist, another 16 projects have been identified and are slated to be under construction shortly.

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