Illinois leads in stimulus highway funds

STIMULUS TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

The Obama administration has approved $6.5 billion of the $27.5 billion the federal stimulus package sets aside for highways and bridges. So far, Illinois ranks first in the number of projects and amount of federal dollars. Sort by: Number of projects Amount of funding State Number of projects Federal funding Illinois 249  $606,303,854 Texas 164  $533,724,551 Tennessee 131  $291,724,682 Iowa 107  $220,391,253 Pennsylvania 106  $279,106,578 Missouri 95  $191,053,635 New York 94  $265,837,525 Oklahoma 88  $307,715,607 Indiana 86  $125,724,525 Utah 79  $118,476,786 Maryland 74  $219,647,795 South Carolina 67  $146,696,513 Arkansas 58  $55,050,010 Washington 59  $104,440,585 Minnesota 58  $191,905,672 North Carolina 53  $165,075,969 Maine 52  $83,526,019 Wisconsin 43  $128,984,039 West Virginia 37  $49,601,300 Mississippi 36  $137,023,720 Oregon 31  $99,202,053 Wyoming 31  $62,829641 North Dakota 31  $60,033,587 Rhode Island 30  $54,527,282 Michigan 27  $110,806,647 Arizona 25  $143,638,821 California 22  $261,426,009 Nebraska 21  $73,440,657 Colorado 19  $118,405,402 Massachusetts 19  $63,879,851 Vermont 17  $38,808,082 Montana 17  $26,639,960 Louisiana 13  $84,539,172 South Dakota 13  $84,518,279 New Hampshire 13  $82,774,423 New Jersey 12  $282,120,599 Alabama 12  $100,566,528 Connecticut 8  $84,485,420 Nevada 8  $49,789,288 Delaware 8  $9,817,373 Kansas 6  $184,263,540 Hawaii 5  $12,524,464 New Mexico 4  $53,300,000 Kentucky 4  $49,665,318 State Number of projects Federal funding Illinois 249  $606,303,854 Texas 164  $533,724,551 Oklahoma 88  $307,715,607 Tennessee 131  $291,724,682 New Jersey 12  $282,120,599 Pennsylvania 106  $279,106,578 New York 94  $265,837,525 California 22  $261,426,009 Iowa 107  $220,391,253 Maryland 74  $219,647,795 Minnesota 58  $191,905,672 Missouri 95  $191,053,635 Kansas 6  $184,263,540 North Carolina 53  $165,075,969 South Carolina 67  $146,696,513 Arizona 25  $143,638,821 Mississippi 36  $137,023,720 Wisconsin 43  $128,984,039 Indiana 86  $125,724,525 Utah 79  $118,476,786 Colorado 19  $118,405,402 Michigan 27  $110,806,647 Washington 59  $104,440,585 Alabama 12  $100,566,528 Oregon 31  $99,202,053 Louisiana 13  $84,539,172 South Dakota 13  $84,518,279 Connecticut 8  $84,485,420 Maine 52  $83,526,019 New Hampshire 13  $82,774,423 Nebraska 21  $73,440,657 Massachusetts 19  $63,879,851 North Dakota 31  $60,033,587 Arkansas 58  $55,050,010 Rhode Island 30  $54,527,282 New Mexico 4  $53,300,000 Nevada 8  $49,789,288 Kentucky 4  $49,665,318 West Virginia 37  $49,601,300 Vermont 17  $38,808,082 Montana 17  $26,639,960 Hawaii 5  $12,524,464 Delaware 8  $9,817,373 Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Ohio and Virginia have yet to have any projects approved.

Source: The U.S. Department of Transportation, APril 2009

In states’ quest to get the most federal transportation recovery dollars the quickest, Illinois has jumped to the front of the pack.
 

Of the more than 2,000 transportation projects that President Obama announced April 13 had won federal approval for stimulus money so far, Illinois snagged 249 projects and $606 million.

Texas was second both in the number of projects (164) and for the amount of money ($533 million).
 

Tennessee, Iowa and Pennsylvania rounded out the top five states with the most number of transportation projects, and Oklahoma, Tennessee and New Jersey ranked after Illinois and Texas in getting the most transportation funding to date.

Dead last are Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Ohio and Virginia, which have yet to have any transportation projects formally approved under the stimulus package.
 

Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood both represented Illinois on Capitol Hill, but the administration says favoritism didn’t play a role in the state's landing the lion’s share of the projects and funding so far.
 

“The way these projects came in to us was up to the states. We didn’t go to them (Illinois officials) and say `hurry up and get your stuff in Illinois,’” said Lori Irving, a U.S. Department of Transportation spokeswoman. The process “was really driven by the individual states,” she said.
 

The $6.5 billion for these 2,081 projects is part of $48.1 billion that the stimulus package has set aside for transportation projects. Of that, $27.5 billion is for highways and bridges, $8.4 billion for high-speed rail and $1.3 billion for Amtrak.
 

The 2,000th project, to widen Interstate 94 in Kalamazoo County, Mich., received $56 million. Other approved projects include $80 million to repair the South Jersey Expressway; nearly $62 million to fix part of the US-69 Corridor in Overland Park and Lenexa, Kan.; and $50 million to construct a four-lane expressway in Brook County, Texas.
 

The Illinois projects include $29 million to replace a bridge and build a new interchange on Interstates 55 and 70 in Madison County and $5.5 million to resurface a portion of Route 137 in northeast Illinois.

States are under enormous pressure to get shovels in the ground. They have until June 17 to use half of their share of highway funds for “quick-start” projects or risk losing the money.
 
Maryland announced in March that it was the first state in the country to meet all requirements, locking in its $431 million share.
 

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