The California Transportation Commission has allocated $1 billion for 95 transportation projects statewide, including $15 million in federal economic stimulus funding.
“This is economic power in action. We’re putting people back to work and building better roads, bridges and transit for California,” said California Department of Transportation Director Will Kempton.
$490 million of the latest allocations are funded through Proposition 1B, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond championed by Gov. Schwarzenegger and are going to 23 projects throughout California. Since its passage, more than $6 billion in bond funding has been put to work on transportation projects, creating more than 100,000 jobs.
California received nearly $2.6 billion in stimulus funding for highways and local streets and $1 billion for transit projects. Discretionary programs could add another $300 million, and California expects to be very competitive in securing a portion of $8 billion set aside nationally for high-speed rail and intercity rail.
Highlights of the new allocations include:
• $72.6 million to build one bus/carpool lane in each direction on I-5 in Los Angeles from S.R. 170 to S.R. 118 and a direct bus/carpool lane connection at the I-5/710 interchange;
• $90 million to expand the Caldecott Tunnel on S.R. 24 at the Alameda/Contra Costa County line;
• $238 million to replace the aging Antlers Bridge on I-5 above Lake Shasta with a modern five-lane bridge nearly 2,000 ft long.
For a list of the projects receiving Recovery Act funds, visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/docs/ctcrecoveryactallocationsmay2009.pdf
For information about all projects that received allocations yesterday, visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/docs/ctcallocationsmay2009.pdf
