As anyone who has driven across Central Washington knows, our local roads, bridges and highways have both immediate and long-term transportation and infrastructure needs. 

Every few years, Congress writes a new transportation bill that focuses on improving our transportation infrastructure.  The most recent national highway and transit bill, known as SAFETEA-LU, is set to expire.  The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over this legislation, asked lawmakers for recommendations of projects that are important to the communities they represent and worthy of federal funding.

Here is an initial list of the projects that Congressman Hastings submitted for consideration.  Congressman Hastings has worked with local leaders to identify projects most in need of funding and that benefit the greatest number of area residents.  All the projects submitted have the support of local officials.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee deadline for accepting recommendations from lawmakers was May 14, 2009.  Members of Congress were afforded only a matter of weeks to identify, verify and submit their recommendations.  Therefore, the list of recommended projects may change after additional review.  Recommended projects are not guaranteed funding, as the Transportation and Infrastructure committee has sole discretion over which projects to fund. 

As the process continues, Congressman Hastings will work to ensure that Central Washington receives its fair share of transportation funding.