Iowa Governor Culver: Iowa Putting Federal Funds To Work For Jobs, Infrastructure

Article continues below...

Iowa DOT awards $56 million in highway, bridge projects using stimulus funds

February 20, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa is wasting no time putting federal stimulus funds to work as transportation officials award their first construction projects using stimulus dollars, Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced today. Within three days of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act being signed into law, 19 highway and bridge projects totaling more than $56 million are moving forward.

"Creating jobs by investing in our infrastructure is a critical step to turn around our economy,” said Governor Culver. “As Governor, I want to make sure that we are putting federal stimulus funds to use as soon as we can in order to create and retain good jobs in Iowa."

Earlier today, Iowa Department of Transportation Director Nancy Richardson informed the Governor that the department was awarding 19 contracts worth $56.6 million in highway and bridge projects using a portion of the approximately $358.2 million in federal highway stimulus funding appropriated to Iowa. Bids for the projects were opened on Tuesday, the day that President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.

“By utilizing federal stimulus funding for these ‘ready-to-go’ projects the Iowa DOT will be able to accelerate or add other highway projects to the state’s five-year transportation improvement program, something that would not have been possible without the stimulus funding,” said Richardson.

Work will begin on the projects just as soon as weather conditions permit. This means hundreds of jobs for Iowa road builders and designers, increased demand for related supplies and services, and further economic development in Iowa around the improvements.

“The combination of federal stimulus funds along with my proposal to improve Iowa’s infrastructure puts our state ahead of many places in the nation in being able to move our economy forward,” added Governor Culver. “By helping businesses create good jobs, every aspect of our economy will benefit."

Source: Iowa Governor