The dollar volume of  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act highway projects under contract and under way rose in February, according to the most recent monthly report from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

As of Feb. 28, state departments of transportation had 9,302 ARRA-funded highway and bridge projects under contract.  Those contracts are valued at $20.4 billion, or 77% of the $26.8 billion in formula highway funding available under the stimulus act, according to reports released on March 25 by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The results were discussed at a March 26 hearing of the committee.

Of those highway projects under contract, 7,987, worth $18.4 billion, were under way. They account for 69% of the ARRA formula funds available.

By comparison, at the end of January, projects totaling 73% of the highway funds were under contract and projects worth 65% of the dollars were under way.

ARRA airport work also has moved rapidly, with projects totaling $1.2 billion under way or finished, out of $1.3 billion available under the statute.

In the transit sector, $4.8 billion in ARRA projects in the urban and rural formula funding category--68% of available funds--was under contract at the end of February. Work had started on $4.4 billion worth of those projects.

Beyond transportation, the House committee reported that all of the $3.8 billion in ARRA Clean Water State Revolving Fund money was under contract as of Feb. 28. Work was under way on $3.3 billion worth of those projects.

In the early months after the stimulus measure was signed, Clean Water SRFs had been one of the lagging categories, in terms of funds under contract

Differences remain among state  DOTs in ther spending pace. Here's a list of the fastest-spending and slowest-spending states for stimulus act highway and bridge funds:

(Percent of ARRA highway and bridge dollars under contract as of Feb. 28)

Top 10 States

Maine                 100.0%
Wyoming            100.0
Pennsylvania        99.7
Iowa                      98.5
Utah                      96.2
Vermont                96.0
South Dakota        95.2
New Hampshire    93.3
Indiana                  92.4
Kentucky               92.4


Bottom 10 States

Virginia                47.3%
Nevada                48.2
Delaware             53.3
Ohio                     55.9
California             59.8
Rhode Island        61.2
Arkansas              63.7
Massachusetts     65.2
Alaska                   67.9
New Jersey           68.3

(Source: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)