Carcieri to detail funds for transportation repairs

PROVIDENCE - Gov. Don Carcieri plans to release details on how Rhode Island will use its federal stimulus funding to make transportation improvements.

Carcieri’s joint news conference is set for Wednesday at the State House. He’ll be joined by House Speaker William Murphy and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed.

The U.S. Department of Transportation released about $138 million in funding Tuesday meant for infrastructure repairs in Rhode Island. President Barack Obama’s administration hopes the money will create and preserve jobs in a state where unemployment has reached 10.3 percent. The construction industry has been particularly hard hit.

State transportation officials have identified more than 50 potential projects. Carcieri spokeswoman Amy Kempe would not say which ones, if any, Carcieri has approved.