U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $2.7 Million in Grants for District of Columbia Highway Projects |
|---|
Topics: Ray LaHood
|
Federal Highway Administration
17 August 2011
FHWA 37-11
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Contact: Nancy Singer
Tel: 202-366-0660
Funds will help create jobs by expanding bridge and highway repairs, increasing business capacity of disadvantaged businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced more than $2.7 million in grants for the District of Columbia to fund an array of highway-related efforts ranging from rehabilitating the Memorial Bridge to reconstructing the intersection of East Capitol Street and Benning Road.
"Transportation investments like these will create jobs and improve the quality of life for District residents as well as strengthen its economy," said Secretary LaHood. "The demand from the states and the District for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment."
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invited states to apply in June for federal funding from 14 grant programs. Requests poured in from every state, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. - more than 1,800 applications, totaling nearly $13 billion, which is more than 30 times the funds available.
"At a time when states are facing serious budgetary constraints, these grants will help fill a critical need," said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. "Investments like these are immediate and long-lasting and will help create jobs."
Congress created the discretionary grant programs to give FHWA the latitude to support projects that maintain the nation's roads and bridges, improve roadway safety and make communities more livable. In previous years, Congress designated some of this grant money for specific projects and FHWA awarded the remainder through a competitive process. Because the FY11 budget passed by Congress last April directed that all such funds be discretionary, FHWA awarded these funds through a competitive process.
The District of Columbia received funding for the following projects.
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Reconstructing the intersection at East Capitol Street and Benning Road | $1,065,400 |
| Rehabilitating the Arlington Memorial Bridge | $1,000,000 |
| Career services for high school students in pre-engineering or transportation | $400,000 |
| Increasing business capacity of 25 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms | $262,168 |
| TOTAL | $2,727,568 |
A complete state-by-state list of this year's grant recipients is available online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1137/.