The Obama Administration announced Aug. 17 that it is making available $473 million to states in unspent funds for surface transportation infrastructure projects—money originally earmarked in appropriations from Fiscal Year 2003 to FY 2006.  While the president has vowed to veto any new bill that comes to his desk with earmarks and would support legislation to permanently ban them, he noted that these funds were already appropriated and thus should be distributed.

“We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges,” President Barack Obama said in announcing the availability of funds.

DOT Secretary LaHood added: “We are freeing up these funds so states can get down to the business of moving transportation projects forward and putting our friends and neighbors back to work.”

The past appropriations acts contain provisions that authorize LaHood to make the funds available for eligible surface transportation projects. State DOTs can use their unspent earmarked highway funds, some of which are nearly 10 years old, on any eligible public transit, passenger rail, highway, or port project, provided they identify them by Oct. 1 and obligate them by Dec. 31.

Funds not obligated by the Dec. 31 deadline will be proportionally redistributed in FY 2013 to states that met the deadline.

A list of available funds by state can be found here.

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