Missouri Commission Approves Recovery Project List

More than a half-billion in projects are slated in the Show Me State.

Half of Funds to be Obligated by June

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has approved a list of transportation projects to be funded by economic recovery dollars.

Missouri has approved $577 million for road and bridge projects to be funded by the federal stimulus package. In February, the Osage River Bridge rebuild started in Tuscumbia, which is in the center-north of the state.

The package totals $577 million, slightly more than the $525 million MoDOT has to spend. That’s because the department built in additional money to ensure it will qualify for redistribution of funds from other states if they become available, MoDOT says. The list of projects and a map showing their location can be found at www.modot.org on the Internet.

“Our project bids have been coming in 10% to 15% under budget,” MoDOT Director Pete Rahn says. “We built an extra 10% into the project list to make sure we could go after funds that other states don’t spend. Even if those funds don’t become available, we’re committed to delivering every project on the list.”

The act says 50 percent of the stimulus funds must be obligated by June 30, and all money must be obligated by March 2, 2010.

The projects also had to meet all federal regulations, including environmental clearances, contracting requirements and air quality rules. In addition, they had to be included in a long-range, regional and statewide transportation improvement program.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission’s funding formula also dictated which projects were selected. Under the formula, a certain amount of money must go to taking care of the state’s existing highway system and the rest to major projects.

Indiana DOT Pinpoints 22 Projects In 17 Counties for ARRA Funding

In April, the Indiana Department of Transportation identified 22 projects in 17 counties advertised for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The estimated cost is slightly more than $54 million.

Projects that can be funded through the ARRA must be shovel ready. That means all the details of the project-plans, specifications, cost estimates, right-of-way and environmental mitigation-must be complete.

Once a project is submitted by local planning agency, it is reviewed by InDOT for accuracy. Then, the Federal Highway Administration reviews the project to make sure it meets federal guidelines for highways.

Funds for projects that clear both reviews are then set aside, and the projects can be advertised for bids.

All state and local projects must have funds set aside by March 3, 2010, and the work on those projects must be completed by Feb. 17, 2012, according to ARRA guidelines.

To date, INDOT’s three ARRA funding lists total 73 projects worth $122.8 million in 46 counties.

121-Turbine Wind Farm For Northwest Indiana

Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy has announced the Meadow Lake wind farm in White County, Ind., which is the northwest part of the state.

Plans call for 121 wind turbines to be erected in farm fields and connected to a new electrical substation for integration into the transmission grid. The project is expected to be complete in October. Indianapolis-based Bowen Engineering was named the general contractor.