Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn. -3), welcomed the South Central Regional Council of Governments prompt action to amend the State Transportation Improvement Program to utilize funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for shovel-ready transportation projects. Of particular note is that in an effort to accelerate job creation, the bids for these projects are open for 30 days, instead of the typical 90 days.

“I extremely pleased that the South Central Regional Council of Governments has already acted to obligate $243 million from the recovery package for area shovel-ready transportation projects – and only a week after President Obama signed this into law. Each $1 billion of Federal funds invested in infrastructure creates or sustains approximately 34,779 jobs and $6.2 billion in economic activity,” said DeLauro. “This is a direct result of the early coordination between the Council of Governments, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and my office and the willingness of ConnDOT to take unprecedented actions to immediately use these dollars.”

DeLauro continued, “This is precisely the goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: to direct money to shovel-ready transportation projects so we can begin to spur job creation and get our economy back on-track.

Signed into law a little over a week ago, the recovery package includes $64.1 billion of infrastructure investment to enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of our highway, transit, rail, aviation, environmental, inland waterways, public buildings, and maritime transportation infrastructure. For Connecticut, this means a total of $487,480,166 in total infrastructure funding. This investment will create or sustain more than 1.8 million jobs nationwide and $322 billion of economic activity.

Specifically, the SCRCOG obligated the following funding for projects in the region:

$75 million for the Amtrak Bridge over Route 1 in Branford

$57 million for the foundation of the Moses Wheeler Bridge (I-95 Milford/Stratford)

$30 million for Statewide Bus Replacement

$10 million for New Haven Rail Line Improvements (Union station included)

$65.2 million for the New Haven Rail Maintenance Yard (for the new MN railcars) $6 million for the Branford SLE Rail Station Parking Lot