NASHVILLE-Governor Phil Bredesen last week released a final list of projects to be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (Recovery Act), proposed bridge bonds and TDOT’s regular funding mechanisms, and the list included two projects in Clay County. 

The three-tiered program represents more than 450 projects statewide touching every county in Tennessee.  Included in the proposal, which has been presented to the Legislature, are 78 highway and bridge projects in TDOT’s Region Two alone, according to a news release issued by TDOT. 

Among proposals are a 1.8 mile construction project on Highway 52 just west of Celina from “New Hope branch to Cumberland River Bridge” and the resurfacing of Highway 52 from the Cumberland River Bridge to SR (state route) 53. 

The Legislature is currently considering the transportation budget for approval.  TDOT will let to contract all Recovery Act projects in May and June of 2009, the news release said. 

“The Recovery Act is fundamentally about creating and retaining jobs during one of the toughest economic times our nation and state have faced since the Great Depression,” said Governor Bredesen.  “This three-tiered program represents a record investment in Tennessee’s transportation system. The Recovery Act, along with the bridge bonding and TDOT’s regular program, will put thousands of Tennesseans to work rebuilding and strengthening one of Tennessee’s largest economic drivers, our transportation system.”  

TDOT’s Region Two includes Bledsoe, Bradley, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren and White counties.

“Not only will these transportation projects help create or save tens of thousands of jobs for Tennesseans, the end result of this investment will be a more reliable transportation system,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “This three-tiered program represents a responsible, balanced and community based approach to transportation.  Years of planning and study have gone into each of the projects funded for construction.”

Another 21 bridge repair or replacement projects in Region Two are funded through bridge bonds and 18 are funded through TDOT’s traditional Three-Year Multimodal Work Program.

A complete listing of all projects identified for funding is attached to this release and is posted on the TDOT web site,  www.tn.gov/tdot.  

For more information on Tennessee’s transportation portion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act visit  www.tn.gov/tdot/recovery.