I-95 upgrade in Florida under way

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Recovery Act dollars are helping build a new roadway and bridge over Interstate 95 that will strengthen the local economy by increasing accessibility to commercial and residential developments in the area, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez announced as he toured work on the Dunn Avenue project in Daytona, Fla.

Mendez says the Recovery Act paid for $5.5 million of the total $6.6 million project. “This is just one example of what President Obama was talking about when he said we needed to out build the rest of the world,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This new project will improve access to homes and businesses and eventually encourage new development along the I-95 corridor.”

The new construction will target improved mobility and traffic flow in a busy area that includes the airport and the Daytona International Speedway while also providing another route between the east and west sides of the city. When completed this summer, the new bridge and adjacent new road will allow for the more efficient movement of people and goods along I-95.

“People are excited and proud of what is being built here, and they should be,” Mendez says. “It’s putting people to work and creating economic opportunities along with building a new road.”

Of the $26.6 billion in Recovery Act highway funds available for road and bridge projects nationwide, Florida’s share is $1.35 billion. As of Jan. 28, the state has 391 projects under way and 213 completed.