March 23, 2009
Dear Fellow Nebraskans:
The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides significant funding for infrastructure projects. Nebraska is expected to receive approximately $1.2 billion and more than a third will go to infrastructure improvements.
This funding will include road and bridge improvements, wastewater and drinking water improvement projects, and energy efficiency grants for low-income families.
The Nebraska Department of Roads will receive $235 million for transportation projects. First-class cities will receive $29 million of that funding, the state receives $158 million, and counties will receive $9 million, with Omaha receiving $23 million and Lincoln receiving $9 million. Another $7 million is directed to trails and historic preservation projects.
The first seven state roads projects awarded stimulus funding were highway projects near Syracuse, Edgar, Lexington, Overton, Gilead and the Maxell I-80 Interchange. These projects total $25 million.
The second group of projects that will receive stimulus funding will be roads and bridge improvements near Hastings, Chappell, Leigh, Hemingford, Lexington, Oshkosh, Concord, Arcadia, Fairbury, and Beatrice. Contracts for these projects will be awarded in mid-April.
I’ve asked Lincoln and Omaha mayors to allocate funding in their communities, and the League of Nebraska Municipalities and the Nebraska Association of County Officials are identifying priority projects for the share of local and county funding.
The Department of Roads has identified a potential of 80 projects for improving the state highway system. Each of these projects meets the criteria for Federal Highway Administration road projects, as well as additional criteria for projects receiving federal recovery funds. Projects must be completed in three years; be shovel-ready, with all the necessary design, permit and impact studies completed; and be able to create jobs and provide economic benefits to the surrounding area.
The contracts issued this year in connection with federal recovery funds will be in addition to the repair, maintenance and construction projects already scheduled for Nebraska highways in the coming year.
This is an area where Nebraska is moving quickly, thanks to the work of the staff at the Department of Roads, and our partners in city and county government. Their cooperation and quick work in allocating recovery funds is appreciated.
Infrastructure funding is about creating jobs. Road and bridge improvement projects will help ensure demand to keep construction, engineering, supply and transportation companies busy. I am hopeful these projects will help offset the impact of a slowing economy.
