Press Release Archive

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Governor Culver: I-Jobs is Rebuilding our Infrastructure and Restarting our Economy

DOT Commission approves $34 million in I-JOBS Bridge projects; $1.6 million in RISE grant funding through I-JOBS

AMES – Governor Culver announced today that the Iowa Transportation Commission has added $34 million in bridge projects to the state’s Transportation Improvement Program, a direct result of the Culver/Judge Administration’s I-JOBS initiative.

Governor Chet Culver said, “While other states still are suffering from the effects of the recession, I-JOBS is not only helping to grow our communities and create jobs, but is putting Iowa in a position to lead in the new economy. The $115 million in I-JOBS transportation funding, whether it is bridges, roads, trails, airports, public transit systems or railroads, is the footing we need to rebound quickly and provide a sustainable path to economic growth.”

Transportation Commission Chair Wayne Sawtelle said the I-JOBS funding is paramount in tackling the backlog of state bridge replacement and preservation projects. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for over 4,000 bridges, 232 of which are classified as structurally deficient and 311 functionally obsolete.

At their meeting in July, the Transportation Commission amended the 2010-2014 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program by programming work on 55 bridges using $50 million provided by the I-JOBS Bridge Safety Fund. Of the $50 million, approximately $16 million was programmed to new bridge projects and $34 million to bridge projects that could be advanced in the existing program due to this funding availability.

Because the I-JOBS Bridge Safety Fund is intended to provide a financial boost toward reducing the number of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges on the Primary Highway System, the Commission took action today to insure that it maintains its pre-I-JOBS fiscal effort toward bridge preservation and replacement, and approved the addition of $34 million in new bridge projects to the five-year program.

In addition, Governor Culver announced today that the Commission has approved more than $1.6 million in Rebuild Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Local Development Grant funding for three Iowa communities. Funds for this RISE award come from the $10 million of unobligated RISE funding identified in Governor Culver’s I-JOBS initiative as funding available for projects to promote economic development in the state. Below are details of the RISE grant funding:

  • ELKADER:  Up to $409,050 will be made available to assist in construction of approximately 1,035 feet of Miller Street east from Gunder Road toward Johnson Street, provide turning lanes on High Street and install 1,425 feet of curb and gutter on Johnson Street in the Johnson Industrial Park. Funding for the grant comes from the city share of the RISE fund. The improvement will provide necessary access to 13 lots totaling more than 26.9 acres for RISE-eligible development. 
  • WEST BEND:  Up to $119,799 will be made available to assist with constructing approximately 769 feet of Fourth Avenue Northeast east of Iowa 15 and south of 140th Street Northeast. Funding for the grant comes from the city share of the RISE fund. The improvement will provide access to eight lots totaling almost nine acres for RISE-eligible development. 
  • MITCHELLVILLE:  Up to $1,095,636 will be made available to assist in the reconstruction of 1,800 feet of Cotton Avenue and to grade and pave approximately 1,700 feet of roadway in the proposed Hermann Industrial and Business Park. Funding for the grant comes from the city share of the RISE fund. The completed improvements will provide access to three lots totaling more than 59.5 acres for RISE-eligible development.