Gov. Beverly Perdue will meet with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Wednesday to tell him how much the state needs a new bridge over the Yadkin River.
The Interstate 85 bridge, a few miles northeast of Salisbury, is an aging four-lane bridge built in the 1950s, Barb Barrett reports. It would cost an estimated $335 million to replace.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has a $1.5 billion pot of discretionary money to go to special, big-ticket items around the country. States have to apply for funding, and no state could receive more than $300 million under the program’s rules.
Perdue’s push continues work already begun by state transportation leaders. State Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti visited the White House this spring to talk with federal officials about the state’s needs.
While in Washington on Wednesday, Perdue also has meetings planned with Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, and with most of the House delegation.
She plans to talk with them about North Carolina’s ongoing budget crisis, its needs from federal recovery efforts and how the state is spending its money so far.
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Re: Perdue heads to D.C.
Well, let's admit it - at least if we're going to waste money, it'll be in the Western part of the state, which has gone woefully ignored, aside from the purchase of Grandfather Mountain and some road work around Charlotte - oh, and the attempted theft of a legitimate private business (the Alcoa Yadkin River project).