[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 52 (Thursday, March 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRANSPORTATION CONSTRUCTION UNDER THE RECOVERY ACT

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                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2009

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to report that the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act is getting construction workers off the 
bench and back on the job.
  The Recovery Act provides $64.1 billion for transportation and 
infrastructure investments within the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure. Nearly $40 billion of those funds 
have been distributed to States by existing highway, transit, and clean 
water statutory formulas. Of the $27 billion provided for highway 
infrastructure formula funds, in the past three weeks, 33 States have 
submitted and received approval for nearly 800 projects totaling $2.9 
billion, more than 10 percent of the Recovery Act highway funds.
  Construction is underway across the country: Silver Spring, Maryland: 
$2.1 million project to resurface and improve safety along a 1.1-mile 
section of New Hampshire Avenue; Syracuse, Utah: $15 million project to 
widen State Highway 108; and Richmond, Vermont: $1.7 million project to 
rehabilitate a bridge over the Winooski River.
  In addition, the Federal Transit Administration has awarded grants to 
the Kentucky, Missouri, and Maine State DOTs to purchase more than 500 
vehicles, including trolleys, buses, vans, and ferries and construct 
almost 50 bus shelters.
  Amtrak has approved $938 million of capital improvement projects: 
including $105 million project to replace a moveable bridge over the 
Niantic River; and $82 million to rehabilitate 68 passenger cars.
  The Federal Aviation Administration has identified $913 million of 
the $1.1 billion of airport projects, including runway, taxiway, apron, 
and terminal improvements.
  All across America, the Recovery Act is creating good, family-wage 
jobs to restore our nation's infrastructure and economy.

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