DelDOT Recovery Act Updates

National Report: Delaware Transportation Funding Mix outstanding

Dover -- As of August 12, 2009, more than 30 projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are either completed, under construction, pending construction or currently advertised for bids. Major projects such as the I-95 Toll Plaza, Dover Transit Center and South Market Street in Wilmington are in various phases of pre-construction from archeology and environmental work to design.

This work has created or sustained several hundreds of jobs to date, and bulk of construction work has not yet begun.

Also, a national report notes Delaware is "outstanding" for spreading out ARRA funds on road repair, transit and walking and biking, while criticizing most other states. "The States and Stimulus" report by Smart Growth America and California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund recognizes only three states as "outstanding" Washington D.C. was first with 41.5 percent of its ARRA funds dedicated to public transportation, biking or pedestrian projects, followed by Delaware with 27.9 percent. A distant third was Iowa with 16.5 percent. The report can be found at www.calpirg.org/report.

An example of the diversity of projects includes the most recent announcements by DelDOT that the $3.5 million Old Lancaster Pike Streetscape Improvements Project is expected to begin construction in August, and that the $1 million Odessa Park & Ride Expansion Project (on Rt. 299, near Rt. 1) will begin construction sometime in late August or early September.

While DelDOT continues making significant progress on ARRA funded projects, the majority of construction activity will begin in the next few months. DelDOT was allocated $140.9 million in highway, bridges, pedestrian and transit-related projects funded through the ARRA. DelDOT is on track to obligate all funds by the February 17, 2010 deadline.