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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. James E. Casorio, Jr. |
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Stimulus funding to help complete Larimer Bridge project
HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – State Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland, said more than $2.2 million in federal stimulus funding will help pay for completion of a project to rehabilitate the Larimer Bridge on state Route 993 over Brush Creek in North Huntingdon Township.
Casorio said the project involves rehabilitating the existing single-span, thru-truss bridge that carries Route 993 over Brush Creek. The rehabilitated bridge will address both structural and traffic safety issues with the current bridge.
"Rehabilitating the Larimer Bridge is a crucial transportation project in North Huntingdon for several reasons," Casorio said. "For one, about 5,000 vehicles per day use this bridge, so it is one of the more heavily traveled bridges in the region and an important transportation asset for this community.
"In addition, the bridge sits right next to the Larimer Volunteer Fire Department, so its timely completion is important in minimizing response times for the department to fires and other emergencies.
Casorio said preliminary work on the bridge has begun, with an estimated project completion date of October 2010.
The Larimer Bridge project is one of more than 320 road and bridge repair projects being funded with federal stimulus dollars; about 82 of those projects are complete with work started on another 213 projects.
"About $346 million of the stimulus funding Pennsylvania is receiving for roads and bridges is coming to rural areas like ours," Casorio said. "We have been mindful in Pennsylvania of the need to ensure that federal money to improve infrastructure and create jobs isn't just going to big cities and the suburbs, but to smaller and rural communities that need this assistance, as well."
Casorio said the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing a total of more than $26 billion to help Pennsylvania move forward in areas such as transportation, education, health care and public safety. That's about $1,157 for each household in the state.
The federal funding is expected to eventually create thousands of jobs linked directly to completion of the specific ARRA projects and that will result from the economic activity and growth the projects will help advance.
Residents can view how ARRA money is being spent in Pennsylvania – including in their county and individual communities – by visiting www.recovery.pa.gov.
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