BY JULIE BISBEE The Oklahoman
Published: January 12, 2010
Officials with the state Transportation Department do not know the number of jobs created by federal stimulus dollars. They do know the $465 million the state received for infrastructure is allowing the department to do twice as much roadwork as it would in a normal year.
Projects funded by stimulus dollars have added 1.3 million working hours for Oklahoma workers, said Gary Ridley, transportation director. Stimulus projects are being done in addition to roadwork that was already funded for this budget year. In the nine months since the stimulus dollars were allocated to the department, the state has paid about $228 million — or 49 percent — to contractors who have completed the work.
The additional funding has allowed the state to address road projects that might have waited years to be completed, Ridley said.
"This doesn’t fix our problem, but it’s a good shot in the arm,” Ridley said Monday at a state Transportation Committee meeting...
FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Tue, January 12, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski