TUSCUMBIA, Mo.—Construction crews have started working on a replacement for a rural Missouri bridge within minutes of President Barack Obama’s signing the $787 billion stimulus package.
Officials expected the Missouri bridge project would be the first in the nation to get started under the stimulus plan.
As Obama signed the bill Tuesday in Denver, Missouri transportation officials met at the bridge and quickly approved construction of its replacement.
The 1,000-foot-long bridge being replaced spans a Missouri River tributary about 30 miles southwest of the state Capitol in Jefferson City. It was built in 1933 but was closed to large trucks in 2007 because of structural concerns.
The state also planned to begin work Tuesday on three other highway projects.
