Paving project in the Wabash Valley

KNOX COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - From Elkhart to Evansville, and everywhere in between government officials are talking about the federal stimulus package.

The Indiana Department of Transportation said it has $44 million in projects around the state ready to go. INDOT has a list of 27 projects on the drawing board awaiting the funding.

"Hopefully they'll get the package signed really soon. The Federal Department of Transportation will get our dollar amount and our regulations and we'll take it to the pavement," Cher Goodwin of INDOT said.

Of the 27 projects the state has ready to go, only one is in the Wabash Valley. The plan calls for a one million dollar paving project on State Road 58 from Westphalia to Elnora.

Officials point out that road construction tends to spread a lot of those dollars around.

"They buy, they tend to buy locally because it happens faster, tires, everything that takes place on those road construction projects usually helps out the local economy in more than one way," Marc McNeece of the Knox County Chamber said.

INDOT said many of the projects on their stimulus list had been planned for 2010 but were moved forward for the stimulus funding.