Grassley and Harkin said the projects were selected in cooperation with members of Iowa's congressional delegation and the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT).
"Together, we worked for the best interests of the state. We designated the projects that need a boost to get the attention of state highway authorities for future funding. The highway bill before Congress also contains substantial federal formula funding for Iowa road projects. The formula is key to the maintenance and expansion of Iowa's roadway and bridge network. There's no doubt that investment in Iowa's infrastructure with highways and bridges is essential for economic development," said Grassley.
"Highways are the arteries and veins of commerce and crucial to Iowa's economic growth. This funding will improve the quality of our transportation and attract business, remove bottlenecks, and improve the safety of our roads. We worked as well to increase transit funds for rural areas and smaller cities. I remain concerned, however, about the use of veteran's funding to cover some of the increased costs of the bill," said Harkin.
Currently, IDOT receives an annual average of $220 million in federal formula funds for highways. Under the conference report to be approved today, Iowa would receive $314.6 million each year through 2003 for highways and bridges. Both Grassley and Harkin said the special projects designated today will help to accelerate highway projects already in the IDOT project pipeline, including the Avenue of the Saints and the Des Moines-to-Burlington Corridor. As a result, new projects can be slated for formula funding sooner than previously anticipated, they said.
Specifically, the following road projects in Iowa will received earmarked federal funds from the $24 million allotted to the Iowa senators for special projects: