RALEIGH, N.C. -- Gov. Beverly Perdue says she's very disappointed about failing to land a large federal stimulus grant to help widen a key stretch of Interstate 85 through central North Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday the state will receive $10 million to help replace bridges over the Yadkin River and other improvements for I-85 in Davidson and Rowan counties. That's far less than the $300 million the Perdue administration had sought.
Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said the state Transportation Department will now use $150 million in bonds to pay for the first phase of the project to replace or retrofit five aging bridges over the river and widen three miles of road.
First-phase construction could begin this summer and be completed in 2013.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
