Governor Quinn Announces $2.9 Million for Construction Project in Woodford County

WASHBURN - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a capital investment of more than $2.9 million for a construction project in Woodford County. The investment will create jobs and improve transportation safety and efficiency. Funded by his Illinois Jobs Now! construction program, the project is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"This investment in Woodford County is putting people to work, creating jobs that will help drive the local economy," Governor Quinn said. "It is also helping to repair and maintain Illinois' infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency throughout the region."

County Highway 1 between Washburn and Low Point will be resurfaced and upgraded for $2,918,097 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton, the lower of two bidders. The project will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Today's announcement follows last week's news that Illinois' unemployment rate declined in July to 6.8 percent from June's 7.1 percent. During July, 11,200 new private sector jobs were added, including 3,900 manufacturing jobs. The state's unemployment rate has fallen steadily since July 2013, when it stood at 9.2 percent, and has completed its steepest 12-month decline of 2.4 percentage points since August 1984. Since February 2010, Illinois has added 263,100 private sector jobs.

Construction payrolls are up by 8,500 jobs since the beginning of the year, nearly four times as strong as the gain posted for this same period in 2013. Specialty trade contractors' payrolls posted healthy gains for the third straight month, fueled in large part by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

The project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.