JANESVILLE — The federal government will pay for the resurfacing of five Janesville streets this summer.
Rep. Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, announced that $1.5 million in federal stimulus money will pay for the work.
The streets are:
-- Black Bridge Road, Highway 51 to Mayfair Drive.
-- East Milwaukee Street, Ringold Street to Sumac Drive.
-- Kellogg Avenue, Center Avenue to Jackson Street.
-- Mount Zion Avenue, Pontiac Drive to Milwaukee Street.
-- North Oakhill Avenue, Court Street to Highland Avenue.
The work probably will begin in August or September, said Brad Cantrell, director of community development for the city.
“Improvements to Janesville’s infrastructure will make the city stronger and more prepared for the economy of the future while putting folks here in Janesville to work,” said Rep. Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, in a news release. “At a time when our state and local budgets are under significant strain, we must maximize our share of federal recovery funds.”
Engineering design is done or nearly done on the city projects, Cantrell said. The state will let bids on the projects along with a large number of other projects around the state.
Also approved was work on the Raccoon Creek Bridge on County H in Newark Township.
The stimulus funding was designed to put people to work, so state officials looked favorably on “shovel-ready” projects, Cantrell said.
The city had moved forward with the project design in hopes of getting the stimulus funding, Cantrell said.
The money from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 also was intended to target economically distressed areas, and Rock County is classified as one of those, said Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit.
“The local projects that are eligible for these funds far exceed the amount of stimulus funds we have available,” Robson said in a news release. “The DOT received eligible project requests that cost over five times the available funding. I’m pleased that so many of our local projects were funded. This will free up existing transportation dollars for other pressing needs.”
Sheridan added: “This is the second round of local transportation projects to be funded with federal stimulus dollars. The third and final round is scheduled for bid letting in 2010. The projects have not yet been identified.”