First Vermont ARRA Project Complete

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Opening Ceremony Held today for the Richmond Bridge Street Bridge

June 23, 2009 -- Richmond, Vt. – Vermont Governor Douglas today officially opened the new Bridge Street Bridge in Richmond marking the completion of Vermont’s first ARRA funded project.

Governor Jim Douglas was joined by Vermont Agency of Transportation Secretary David Dill, Federal Highway Administration Deputy Vermont Administrator Larry Dwyer, Richmond Selectboard Chairman Pete Parent and numerous Richmond residents to celebrate the opening of the Richmond Bridge Street Bridge, which opened for traffic last Friday.

“I want to thank the Agency of Transportation, Federal Highway and the Town of Richmond for their cooperation and hard work to get this project done so quickly,” said Governor Douglas. “The quick and wise deployment of ARRA funds will help us make much needed and long overdue improvements to our transportation infrastructure. They will also give our economy a much needed boost during our construction season.”

Vermont was awarded $125.8 million in highway and bridge funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the Federal Economic Stimulus Bill. Rehabilitating the troubled Richmond Bridge was Vermont’s first transportation project to utilize stimulus funds and create jobs. The long anticipated bridge opening occurred ahead of schedule and allowed the Agency of Transportation to meet its promise of having traffic back over the bridge before the town’s 4th of July celebrations.

“Thanks to ARRA and our work with transportation leaders in the Legislature, during this construction season we’ll have over $103 million in transportation infrastructure projects happening all across Vermont,” the Governor continued. “That’s why I want to remind the traveling public to slow down and pay close attention when driving through work zones and construction areas.”

Source: Vermont Governor