Construction is underway or completed on $677 million in Minnesota highway, transit, and wastewater projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a.k.a. “the stimulus,” the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure announced on Sept. 30.

The committee released its latest periodic report on the implementation of Recovery Act transportation and infrastructure programs, and the report shows that nationally, a total of $33.9 billion has been invested in 18,365 formula projects now under construction or completed, accounting for 89 percent of the total allocation for such work.

“The transportation and infrastructure investments provided by the Recovery Act have been a tremendous success, Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the Transportation Committee, said in a written statement. “They have helped stem the tide of job losses from the worst economic crisis facing the nation since the Great Depression.This success underscores the immediate need to provide additional funding for infrastructure.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration’s formula, 34.5 direct and indirect jobs are created for each $1 million invested in road and bridge construction, which means the Recovery Act investment in Minnesota’s infrastructure has created over 23,000 jobs since the law was enacted in the spring of 2009.

“Each of those jobs represents a pay check instead of an unemployment check,” said Oberstar. “It helped families make house payments and buy groceries and, when the work is complete, Minnesota will have better roads and bridges to move goods and services more efficiently.”

National Highlights of the Report

Overall:

* 19,328 highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure projects in all 50 States, five Territories, and the District of Columbia have been put out to bid totaling $35.2 billion (93 percent of the total available formula funds for highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure projects).

* Fifty states, five territories, and the District of Columbia have signed contracts for 18,876 projects totaling $34.4 billion (91 percent).