White House Touts Stimulus Projects

Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech today to mark the 200-day mark since the stimulus took effect.  In terms of the stimulus' effect on the construction industry, the vice president reported that more than 10,000 transportation projects have so far been approved.  He went on to say that work created by the stimulus has exceeded goals.  He specifically cited work that had been started on 2,200 highway projects (700 more than expected at this stage) and 192 airport projects (94 more than scheduled).  Biden highlighted in his speech that work has begun on 200 new rural waste and water systems as a result of the stimulus.  In terms of construction contracts, Biden acknowledged that on average bids are coming in at 8 to 10 percent below estimates and noted that he wants to ensure that any savings the government sees from these low bids is used wisely and invested back into infrastructure projects. In addition to his speech, the vice president sent a letter and issued a report to President Obama summarizing each agency's achievements in meeting their goals and commitments in the 200 days since the stimulus took effect.  A copy of the letter and the report is available here.