INDOT: Red Tape Holding Up Stimulus Projects

INDOT: Fewer Projects Approved In Metro Areas

POSTED: 6:36 pm EDT July 6, 2009

UPDATED: 7:24 pm EDT July 6, 2009

GREENFIELD, Ind. -- Red tape at the city level is holding up several stimulus-funded construction projects in central Indiana, state officials said.

There are currently 42 highway stimulus projects underway, employing more than 1,200 Hoosiers, but most of those are in the southern and rural parts of the state, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

In central Indiana, only four contracts have been awarded for stimulus-related projects.

Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Bruce Childs said the slow going is due to tedious approval processes in metropolitan areas.

"Indianapolis is an MPO, a Metropolitan Planning Organization. No MPO projects have made it out of the review process yet," he said.

Childs said that other projects that hadn't been expected to get funding this year are moving ahead already, so it takes them longer to gear up for work.

INDOT has two more bid lettings for projects involving stimulus money scheduled for later this month.

The state received $658 million in highway stimulus money.

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