HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania is the top-ranked large state – and ranks third overall – for the speed with which its Department of Transportation started and delivered projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a Congressional committee.
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s latest ranking of the states showed Pennsylvania climbed from No. 6 to No. 3 and is the highest ranked large state. The committee has paid close attention to how the states have managed the $27 billion in highway and bridge recovery funds allocated by the Recovery Act.
PennDOT is managing nearly four times the amount of road and bridge funding of the two states ranked higher – Maine and Wyoming – combined.
“This recognition reflects the incredibly hard work done by dedicated PennDOT employees on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania,” said Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “From pre-planning to the execution, PennDOT and its partners in the local planning regions and contractors across the state have worked diligently to inject these dollars into the economy as quickly as possible.”
Pennsylvania was allocated $1.026 billion in federal Recovery funds for its state highway and bridge system. All contract bids for 326 projects have been opened.
So far, PennDOT has completed 92 Recovery-funded projects worth $125 million.
More Recovery-funded work will begin as warmer weather returns, putting thousands of people to work across the state. During the peak construction months in 2009, contractors and consultants reported employing more than 5,000 people per month on work funded by the Recovery Act.