Governor Phil Bredesen has released a final list of projects to be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (Recovery Act), proposed bridge bonds and TDOT’s regular funding mechanisms.
Two DeKalb County bridge projects are listed in the bond program, including the proposed replacement of Sligo Bridge on Highway 70 east in fiscal year 2009-2010 and the rehabilitation of Hurricane Bridge on Cookeville Highway in fiscal year 2010-2011.
TDOT also plans to seek additional right of way on Highway 56 south of the DeKalb County line to near Magness Road apparently in it’s regular funding budget.
The three-tiered program represents more than 450 projects statewide touching every county in Tennessee. Included in the proposal, which has been presented to the Legislature, are 78 highway and bridge projects in TDOT’s Region Two alone.
The Recovery Act is fundamentally about creating and retaining jobs during one of the toughest economic times our nation and state have faced since the Great Depression,” said Governor Bredesen. “This three-tiered program represents a record investment in Tennessee’s transportation system. The Recovery Act, along with the bridge bonding and TDOT’s regular program, will put thousands of Tennesseans to work rebuilding and strengthening one of Tennessee’s largest economic drivers, our transportation system.”
TDOT’s Region Two includes Bledsoe, Bradley, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren and White counties.
“Not only will these transportation projects help create or save tens of thousands of jobs for Tennesseans, the end result of this investment will be a more reliable transportation system,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “This three-tiered program represents a responsible, balanced and community based approach to transportation. Years of planning and study have gone into each of the projects funded for construction.”
39 projects in TDOT’s Region Two will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act including a project to reconstruct State Route One/US70-S in Warren County between Centertown and Spring Valley Road which has received strong support from state and local leaders. Tennessee received $572 million in Recovery Act funds. $85.8 million was distributed directly to the state’s eleven Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the City of Murfreesboro leaving $486.2 million for distribution by TDOT.
Another 21 bridge repair or replacement projects in Region Two are funded through bridge bonds and 18 are funded through TDOT’s traditional Three-Year Multimodal Work Program.
The Legislature is currently considering the transportation budget for approval. TDOT will let to contract all Recovery Act projects in May and June of 2009.
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