Stimulus funds its 6,000th project; LaHood lauds as as ‘major milestone’

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), a.k.a. the stimulus, has funded its 6,000th highway project mark with a $44.5 million project near Phoenix.

The project will widen the route between State Route 303 and 99th Avenue, which serves an estimated 45,000 vehicles daily, from four lanes to six, according to the U.S. DOT. In addition, intersections and medians will be improved, and turn lanes will be built at the intersections. When completed, the U.S. DOT says the highway improvements will greatly relieve one of Phoenix’s most congested corridors and help to reduce greenhouse gases in the area.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is lauding this project as a “major milestone.”

“This is a major milestone,” LaHood said in a written press statement from the U.S. DOT. “This important project will improve safety and reduce traffic in and around Phoenix. It will also, like the thousands that came before it, put people back to work.”

For the original press release, click here.