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128 Highway Improvement Projects Underway or Completed in Alabama Thanks to Stimulus Law

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 $515.1 million to Alabama for highway, bridge and related improvements. This one-time bonus added more than 77 percent to Alabama'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 $1.18 billion.

According to Buechner, a Harvard-trained economist, another 145 projects have been identified and are slated to be under construction shortly.

The following shows the number of ARRA-financed highway projects and amount obligated in each Alabama congressional district.

     Congressional District Number of projects    Amount Obligated
     ---------------------- ------------------    ----------------
                1                              40          $36,665,583
               ---                            ---          -----------
                2                              64          $68,726,189
               ---                            ---          -----------
                3                              46          $87,581,791
               ---                            ---          -----------
                4                              35          $83,688,942
               ---                            ---          -----------
                5                              33          $60,423,564
               ---                            ---          -----------
                6                              15          $92,829,008
               ---                            ---          -----------
                7                              34          $48,136,953
               ---                            ---          -----------
    Multidistrict/Statewide                     7          $11,395,402
    -----------------------                   ---           ----------

A full report can be obtained by contacting ARTBA's Jeff Solsby at jsolsby@artba.org 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