I-70 project ahead, other stimulus projects rolling now

JEFFERSON COUNTY - The idea of how to fix I-70 will come from the people of Colorado and not the federal government, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The former Illinois congressman, who was in Jefferson County this past week to break ground on a joint repaving of C-470 and an adjacent bike path that will be paid for by the President's economic stimulus package, said the future of the state's most vexing transportation problem will not be dictated by the federal government.

"We're going to take our cues from (you)," said LaHood. "We're not going to tell Colorado how to fix up I-70. We're going to listen to Colorado tell us, here's the dollars that are needed, here's what we think is best. Whether it's a monorail, whether it's an additional lane, I don't have the answers."

The Colorado Department of Transportation has estimated any fix to the I-70 corridor from Denver to Grand Junction could cost upwards of $8 billion. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce says congestion between the two cities costs the state more than $830 million in lost productivity each year.

LaHood also used the appearance to defend the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act which he said will dramatically help the country's economy. He attacked critics who have asked "where are the jobs?" and pointed at the job he was in Colorado to help start and the roughly two hundred positions it will take to complete the work. Further, he said the work would not just be focused on America's metropolitan areas, but spread out into its small towns as well.

"It's not just to fix up the interstates, it's to fix up the infrastructure of America," he said. "We're going to be working on bridges and roads and more bike paths and opportunities for people all over America. This program is not just for the urbanized areas, you can see all over America that the rural areas will be well served."

So far in Colorado, of the 52 Recovery Act Roadway projects set out by CDOT as of June 30, 23 are set for the seven Denver metro area counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson).

Related Links: Colorado Headquarters for Recovery Act: http://www.colorado.gov/recovery
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