(June 2, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley announced today that the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has awarded its final contract for State road improvements funded by President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.  The last ARRA funded project involves the $2 million replacement of a bridge deck on Forestville Road over the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County.

“President Obama provided $317 million to Maryland for highway upgrades and safety improvements under the ARRA program,” said Governor O’Malley.  “We have invested those funds to support more than 3,500 jobs on 116 projects as we resurface State roads, replace aging bridges, improve safety and rebuild sidewalks to ADA standards.”

The ARRA program provided federal funding to bolster the national economy in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.  One of the most visible benefits of recovery funding in action was highway reconstruction.  Maryland seized the opportunity and moved projects to be ready to start as soon as ARRA funds became available.  In fact, the nation’s first ARRA funded highway project approved by the Federal Highway Administration was the resurfacing and improvement of a portion of New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) in Montgomery County.  To date, 18 of SHA’s 116 ARRA funded projects have been completed.​
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