WYDOT is first DOT to pay out all federal stimulus highway funds to contractors

View a map and list of the ARRA-funded projects.

All $157.6 million in federal economic stimulus money received for Wyoming highway projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now in the hands of the contractors who completed 69 projects around the state.

WYDOT is the first state department of transportation to complete the effort to get all of its stimulus funds for highways into the construction economy. Nationwide, 87 percent of the ARRA funds for highways have been spent.

“ The ARRA funds preserved jobs and helped put people back to work,” said Joe Dailey, Federal Highway Administration division administrator for Wyoming. “The 69 projects represent a long-term investment in Wyoming infrastructure and communities, as well as the local and regional economies as a whole.”

The stimulus money was used for pavement preservation, road rehabilitation , safety and bridge improvements. As with all federal highway aid, WYDOT was required to spend 3 percent of the funds on enhancement projects, such as pedestrian and bicycle paths, lighting and landscaping, to improve local communities.

“The goal of ARRA funding for highways was to stimulate the economy while improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure and we accomplished that in Wyoming,” WYDOT Director John Cox said. “We got a lot of badly needed work done on our highways and bridges, and contractors got work they needed to help them through a tough economic time.”

New driver license security requirements in effect

Anyone getting a new driver license or renewing their existing Wyoming license is now required to provide additional documentation verifying their identity to comply with federal security regulations.

Any one of these documents is acceptable to verify identity for U.S. citizens:

certified birth certificate;
valid U.S. passport;
consular report of birth abroad;
certificate of citizenship; or
certificate of naturalization.

Wyoming natives can get a certified copy of their birth certificate from the Wyoming Department of Health’s Vital Statistics Services for $13. Those born elsewhere can find where to get a certified birth certificate by going to http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm .