The Ohio Department of Transportation will soon be hiring 4,838 new employees to complete the U.S. Route 33 Nelsonville bypass after receiving $150 million from the federal stimulus package for the project.
Out of 149 different transportation projects and a total of $774 million for ODOT usage, the state allocated the second largest amount of money to the bypass, Gov. Ted Strickland said.
We're putting America to work
Strickland said. Not only will this facilitate movement of vehicles and people but it will provide a safe way to travel and reduce the cost of transport.
The second stage of the highway was not slated to begin until 2015, but the monetary boost will allow ODOT to finish the project by 2013 or 2014 - saving the state an estimated $40 million, said David Rose, ODOT's public information officer. The second stage of construction could begin as soon as May.
He added the bypass also would cut down drive time from Columbus to Charleston, W.Va., by an hour.
Calling the stimulus a short term boost to the economy, he said it's too early to know what projects will be available for employment after this project is over or whether the jobs will be temporary.
Whether the jobs are temporary or not any job is welcome news
said Roger McCauley, executive director of Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development. We are well aware of the needs of (Southeastern Ohio) families and how critical it is that these kinds of jobs be made available to them.
Despite the county's unemployment rate of 5.9 percent creeping up
McCauley said a project like this would make a difference because it encourages business opportunities, which create more jobs for people in the future.
State Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, said voting for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was not easy because it authorized spending a huge sum of money - $787 billion in total from 2009 to 2019.
But we are beginning to see why I voted
he said. We learned a lesson from the past that inaction in unacceptable in times of crisis.
State Sen. Jimmy Stewart, R-Athens, said the highway might make this area more appealing for industry. When ODOT opened up the last two corridors of 33 leading to Meigs County, Gatling Corporation and AMP-Ohio officials decided to operate in Meigs County, he added.
Congress passed the American and Recovery Investment Act on Feb. 13, distributing about $6.8 billion to Ohio.
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Caitlin McGlade
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