Important announcement down in Charlotte regarding the I-485 outerbelt from someone who may —- or may not —–know how to handle fed stimulus money.
Meanwhile, Capital Beat’s Mark Binker says Gov. Bev Perdue’s plan to apply for federal discretionary grants to build a new I-85 bridge over Yadkin River is a “pretty audacious play.”
Binker points out that the discretionary funds that Perdue says will fund the new bridge are competitive and that “no one state is allowed to pull down $300 million,” which is exactly the cost of the new bridge. In other words, the second round of stimulus money won’t cover that cost, and the state will have to make up the difference.
I realize the fact that the bridge isn’t ‘shovel ready’ is the factor in all this, but you can’t ignore the typical government play where they spend the money as fast as it comes in and then find the next source. Makes you wonder if they’re thinking it through, especially when you hear Transportation Secretary Gene Conti say N.C. is “poised to spend its share and then some.”
Guess he’ll be in the passenger seat while Bev’s driving the truck down to South Carolina.
