Record highway funds awarded

US: The US's House Transportations Appropriations Subcommittee has just approved the largest ever annual budget for its national highway programme. More than US$ 39 billion will be made available for highway maintenance and improvement during the 2007 financial year, and represents a +9.7% increase over 2006 levels.

The US$ 39.1 billion budget is above the US$ 38.2 billion guaranteed under the US's SAFETEA-LU law, the successor to TEA-21, passed last year. The additional funds is expected to be used to fund additional work in around 20 states.

The total budget matches the funds requested by President Bush in his February budget submission.