Manchin Debuts $215m List for Stimulus Road, Bridge Funds (Updated)

Gov. Joe Manchin has begun showing legislators the state's pared-down, 109-item list that he plans to fund with federal stimulus dollars allotted for road and bridge projects, The Associated Press reports.

The value of the projects total $215 million, which is divided somewhat evenly among West Virginia's three congressional districts. Projects to expand sections of the state's corridor system form the largest portion of the spending. Others would add truck climbing lanes, pave dozens of stretches of state roads and paint, clean, reinforce or replace numerous bridges.

The list also includes $2 million grant programs, one for each congressional district. The list indicates that all of the projects are slated to advertise for bids by late May, with some ready to go out as early as this week.

AP also offers a detailed list of the road-related projects.

Manchin told AP last week that "I did not hand-pick one inch of road," adding that "Nobody has said, politically, 'do this road or that road,' though I'm sure people are speculating otherwise...I'm hoping people will let the professionals do what they do.''

Lawmakers earlier told the Charleston Daily Mail that they "are working quickly to become experts into how the funds can be used, what is required and who can benefit."