WSDOT Completes 50th Project Funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

WSDOT and local governments have now completed 50 highway projects receiving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. A ribbon cutting ceremony will celebrate the completion of two Recovery Act projects and one state-funded project in Moses Lake on October 22. Nationwide, over 8,000 highway projects are now approved for federal stimulus funding and nearly 4,700 are under way.

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This week by the numbers (project dollars in millions)

Key issues: State

Ribbon-cutting planned for three projects October 22 near Moses Lake – WSDOT will host a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate completion of a contract that funded two Recovery Act projects and a Transportation Partnership Account-funded project in Grant County. The SR 17/Moses Lake to Ephrata paving included resurfacing eight miles of SR 17 from the Grant County Airport to the junction with SR 282, and from there, five miles of SR 282 to the junction with SR 28 in Ephrata. Construction crews also built more than four miles of passing lanes funded by the 2005 gas tax.

WSDOT submits more accountability reports – WSDOT submitted new accountability reports to the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Congress on October 20. The reports, including new employment data for work through September 30, 2009, will be posted online soon.

One more highway project awarded –

Local project

• Lake Stevens - Lundeen Parkway Roundabout

Key issues: National

Over 8,000 highway projects now obligated – President Obama joined Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on October 14 at a Virginia project to announce that over 8,000 highway projects have been obligated and 4,697 are now under construction.



New Preliminary National Rail Plan unveiled – The Federal Rail Administration announced it has completed a preliminary national rail plan highlighting both freight and passenger rail. The effort comes as the stimulus provided $8 billion for new investment in high-speed passenger rail nationwide.

FRA reviewing high-speed rail applications - The Federal Rail Administration conducted initial reviews of the 45 corridor development applications under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program to confirm the requests from 24 states received by October 2 were complete, according to the weekly Department of Transportation newsletter. On October 14, FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo said the agency does not expect to make any award announcements until after January 1. Announcements are expected before or on February 17, 2010.

Inspector General’s Office announced audit plans for Recovery Act – On October 16, the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General released an updated plan to use the $20 million it received to monitor the agency’s stimulus program. Planned audits include:

• Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration evaluations of improper payments and whether the agency has adequate internal prevention and detection controls.


• Three reviews of Federal Aviation Administration aid to airports, including grant awards, employment creation and reporting, and expenditure oversight.


• Other audits include oversight of public agencies, ensuring data quality, and oversight of the $1.5 billion TIGER and $8 billion High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail grants.

Stimulus project of the week

Stimulus-funded project will help reduce crossover collisions



A project envisioned more than a decade ago is now coming to fruition, thanks to the financial boost provided, in part, by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.



The missing link of shared-use path that connects the Lacey Woodland Regional Trail to the Chehalis Western Trail and the City of Lacey is finally under construction. During the four months the trail has been under construction, it has employed an average of 60 workers per month and reached a peak of 84 workers in September. The $2.5 million project cost is covered by $1 million in stimulus funds, along with other federal, state and local funding sources.



“We’ve been talking about this trail since 1992,” said Assistant City of Lacey Manager Scott Spence. “With the ARRA funds we were able to accomplish this task – it could have remained on the books for quite a long time without it."



The project completes 2.2 miles of separated trail featuring a 10-foot wide paved surface for walkers and bicyclists with a gravel shoulder for joggers. Marked crossing-islands are being constructed at major streets, and landscaping and lighting are being installed in key locations.



“We expect the trial will be used predominantly for recreation. It will link south Thurston County to the Puget Sound and Woodland Creek Park in Lacey,” said Spence. “Since the trail goes through the city’s commercial core, it also supports alternative modes of transportation and gives commuters an option to get out of their cars. That benefits the city both in terms of traffic congestion and air quality.”



The trail will be opened for use by the end of November, with remaining landscaping work scheduled for completion in February 2010.





Important dates



October 22: Ribbon cutting on SR 17/SR 282 Moses Lake to Ephrata - Paving

October 30: Recovery.gov to publish OMB performance reports online

November 10: Washington’s second monthly performance report due

January 10: Next quarterly report due to OMB

February 17: Deadline for the U.S. Department of Transportation to announce TIGER grants and High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail awards (both are expected earlier)

March 1: Deadline for obligating federal highway funds





Websites of interest



WSDOT ARRA website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/funding/stimulus

Washington recovery website: http://www.recovery.wa.gov/

Federal recovery website: http://www.recovery.gov/

FHWA recovery website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/index.htm

Federal Transit Administration recovery website: www.fta.dot.gov/recovery

Federal Rail Administration recovery website: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2153

Federal Aviation Administration recovery website: http://www.faa.gov/recovery

OMB recovery website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default/