Plenty of NC projects to benefit from infrastructure package
From high-speed rail to high-speed internet, from clean water to clean energy, North Carolina will see numerous benefits from the $1 trillion infrastructure package Congress approved late Friday, officials said Monday.
Posted — Updated"Friday was a great day for this country and for North Carolina," Democratic 2nd District Congresswoman Deborah Ross said during a news conference at Union Station in downtown Raleigh. "We are a powerful economic engine for our state and our region, but sadly, our infrastructure has not grown with our community."
As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, North Carolina will receive $7.2 billion for highway programs, $457 million for bridge replacement and $910 million over five years to improve public transportation.
Ross said the state has 3,116 miles of highway and 1,460 bridges that need repair.
"The people we serve expect infrastructure that’s resilient," state Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette said.
"We can't solve long commuting lines simply by building another lane and another lane out on [Interstate] 40. We've got to invest in buses, commuter rail and other modes of transit," Democratic 4th District Congressman David Price said.
Wake County officials would like to see a commuter rail line connecting eight area towns and cities by 2030, Commissioner Sig Huthinson said.
North Carolina also will receive $109 million over five years to support expanding the network of electrical vehicle charging stations in the state.
ABB, which makes the charging stations, plans to double the size of its North Carolina factory and add 400 jobs, Executive Vice President Michael Plaster said.
"This will just accelerate that curve, and we will employ a lot more people around that business and also the businesses to support that," Plaster said.
Electric vehicles account for only 3 percent of new car sales, but they are expected to make up 30 percent of new car sales by 2030, he said.
Overall, the infrastructure package will create 2 million jobs, Price said, calling the legislation "a once-in-a-generation investment" that will benefit the nation for decades to come.
Other infrastructure money is earmarked to expand broadband access in low-income and rural communities, to expand the use of renewable energy and electric vehicles and to "replace every lead [water] pipe in the country," Ross said.
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