After weeks of debate, Congress agreed to a two-year plan to fund the nation’s transportation projects. The agreement allots 54 billion dollars a year to transportation.

It came just one day shy of the Saturday night deadline for current funding to run out.

That could have resulted in mass layoffs and thousands of highway construction projects across the country grinding to a halt. Department of Transportation Spokesperson, David Spear, says the bill’s passage means Georgia will continue to receive federal transportation funding:

“It gives us the ability to forecast our revenues over the next couple years, with the certainty that we’ll get the same funding we’ll be getting-- roughly about 1.1-1.2 billion dollars each year from the federal government each year. That helps us plan and stage our work for the next 2 years.”

The measure marks the first time since 2005 that Congress has agreed to a long-term transportation bill.

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