Contact: Lori Irving, Telephone: (202) 366-0660
FHWA 5-04n

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that newly released funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will help reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve traffic flow at key transportation projects around the state. The Bush administration is providing more than $10 million for improvements to U.S. Route 33, replacement of the Canvas Bridge and three other West Virginia transportation projects.

"Investing in West Virginia's highways is the best way to get people to their jobs, families to their homes and goods to market," Secretary Mineta said.

Several of the projects will ease congestion on some of the state's most heavily traveled roads. The Bush administration has slated $4.6 million for replacement of the Canvas Bridge in Nicholas County and almost $290,000 for improvements to U.S. Route 33 in Pendleton County.

Other projects include $5.7 million for West Virginia Route 10 in the southwestern part of the state, almost $116,000 for streetscape renewal in Weston and almost $50,000 for the Lewisburg Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

"The funding we're announcing today is an investment in the transportation infrastructure of West Virginia and the region," said FHWA Administrator Mary Peters. "The President understands that these investments are important to our quality of life and to keep our economy moving."

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