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Tri-State DOTs Ready Shovels for Stimulus Funds
By Adam Klasfeld
February 24, 2009
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| I-95 in Connecticut is among several highways in the tri-state region slated for repair once state DOT’s begin receiving federal stimulus dollars. |
New York Governor David Paterson has unveiled the first transportation projects that will be funded as a result of the passage of the federal stimulus, and officials in New Jersey and Connecticut say their announcements are not too far behind.
Bridge replacements and repairs in Steuben, Onondaga, Oneida and Herkimer counties will be prioritized for being fully funded with federal dollars.
“There is a serious need in New York for federal infrastructure funding, and [these] projects represent just a small number of the opportunities that will be funded with economic recovery dollars,“ Paterson said in a statement.
The first highway and bridge projects will use $41 million in federal funding, he announced. The funds will be allocated through 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), all of which are slated to release updates in the next month.
Although the MPOs will reveal the full scope of the project, much has already been disclosed. In Steuben County, the I-86 Bridge over Rte. 415 will be replaced, as will the Rte. 415 Bridge over Wolf Run Creek. The county’s drainage system will be repaired, which has been a pressing concern since Hurricane Agnes rocked the area 1972.
Oneida County will see bridge repairs and the resurfacing of Routes 5a and 69, and in Herkimer County, the Route 169 Bridge will be rehabilitated.
Over 1,100 jobs are estimate to be generated statewide, according to Paterson’s office.
New Jersey may receive an even larger boon to the construction industry, according to New Jersey Department of Transportation spokeswoman, Erin Phalon. She says the state should receive $425 million for transit and about $650 for highway and bridge work.
“The FHWA estimates $1 billion on highway construction could support 27,822 jobs,” Phalon said.
Phalon added that NJDOT will be announcing more specific information about individual projects around the end of this week.
In Connecticut, the state department of transportation’s list of shovel-ready projects includes $275,950,000 for highways; $282,152,000 for bridges and $704,200,000 for mass transit. Governor M. Jodi Rell’s office has not yet announced how much stimulus money it expects to receive for transportation projects.
“Governor Rell is interested in working with municipalities to help secure funding for their projects because we cannot look at these projects in a parochial fashion,” says Adam Liegeot. “This will be a comprehensive strategy to reinvigorate our communities and our state.”
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