Creating jobs and updating our infrastructure was at the core of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and both of those aspects of the stimulus package that President Obama and the Democratic Congress passed are greatly needed today here in our country and in our state of North Carolina.
For those of us that have travelled the corridor between Greensboro and Charlotte on I-85, we can point out one such project that truly needs to be addressed yesterday and that is the bridge spanning the Yadkin River at the Rowan and Davidson county line. It looks like the NCDOT and Governor Purdue agree with us, as just today news that the state has submitted a grant application for stimulus cash to fund that very construction project was released.
North Carolina seeks $300M for I-85 bridge replacement http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/07/27/daily42.html
North Carolina is bidding for $300 million in federal stimulus money that would be used to replace a “deficient” and “obsolete” bridge on the highway that connects Raleigh and Charlotte.
The money also would push the North Carolina Department of Transportation's stimulus haul past $1 billion.
snip
The project would complete a comprehensive overhaul of the highway, bridge and rail infrastructure located along 6.8 miles of I-85 from north of Long Ferry Road in Rowan County to U.S. 29-52-70/I-85 Business in Davidson County.
NCDOT says that the stretch of highway included in this project currently carries nearly 70,000 vehicles per day, with traffic counts projected to more than double by 2030. Right now, this stretch has only two lanes in each direction, with narrow shoulders, sharp curves and closely spaced interchanges.
I'm not sure I would catagorize the stimulus money that North Carolina has already received or is applying for as a "haul" like the author of this article has stated, but more of a needed influx of available monies to be used to put people to work, fix a crumbling infrastructure that should have been addressed long ago and to further stimulate the local economy. Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin may be just partisan and ignorant enough to turn down help for their state and local economies and people, but our Governor, Bev Purdue is just doing the job the people of North Carolina hired her to do. Work to try to fix the mess that the Bush Administration left the American people and the people of North Carolina to the best of her ability.
Nice job so far Governor.
Comments
This is a good use of stimulus money, imo
That bridge is outdated, scary, ugly and in need of replacement. The jobs it will bring will be very welcome as well.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
Honestly, there isn't enough money to do what we need to do
to make sure we don't see cars tumbling down as bridges collapse. We have way too many bridges that are dangerous...along with outdated, scary and ugly...they are flat out dangerous.
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Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Thanks for pointing that out.
I think Obama's favorability numbers (and Bev's) would be much better if people knew what is in the works in each locale.
Agreed. Perhaps a bit more reporting on the good things
that are happening in government would be in order. Of course we can't expect the corporate media to do this on their own, so tooting their own horns here and there needs to be part of their PR schtick.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!