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Stimulus job update

 An article in the Denver Post has questioned how many jobs have actually been created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  

The federal government's stimulus spending website shows more than 8,000 jobs have been created or saved in the state. But, the Denver Post reports that number is about one thousand jobs too high.

Every business, government or nonprofit agency that gets stimulus money is required to report how many full time jobs were saved or created. But, the Post reports confusing or inaccurate reports and over-estimating by some agencies has skewed the state's job creation figures.

Road construction projects account for a large number of the Colorado’s stimulus jobs. The Colorado Department of Transportation says the state’s transportation projects have created more than 6,000  jobs.

Specific figures about the number of jobs created in Western Colorado aren't yet available from C-DOT.  But, they are expected to be released soon.

Across the state, about 50 transportation projects are under construction or about to break ground. Seven have already been completed. Seventy other projects have been advertised to contractors and 65 are under contract.

Four projects are under construction in Western Colorado.  Work is almost done to upgrade the I-70 interchange in Palisade.  Crews are also working on improvements to the I-70 interchange in Glenwood Springs. Safety upgrades are being made to a dangerous stretch of  Highway 92 between Delta and Hotchkiss. In Rio Blanco County, work has wrapped up for the season on a 5.3 mile stretch between Rio between Rifle and Meeker.  The project is adding 8-foot shoulders, climbing lanes, embankments, drainage systems,  and striping.  Work will resume in April or May of 2010.

 Western Colorado will see even more projects in 2010.

 “We have about $46 million in Recovery Act funded highway projects either underway or about to get started. Then, we have an additional $1.7 million in what we call transportation enhancement projects,” C-Dot Spokeswoman Nancy Shanks explains.

Enhancement projects are designed to make a community’s transportation network more user friendly.  Enhancements include park and ride lots, bike trails and a pedestrian bridge.