The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the US has allocated $296.5m of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s road and transportation projects ahead of the schedule.

By allocating the funds within the required 29 June deadline, the state will now be eligible for receiving any Recovery Act funding redistributed from other states.

These investments will also provide approximately 8,800 construction and non-construction jobs.

The amount is part of the total $7bn in Recovery Act dollars allocated to Michigan.

Governor Jennifer M Granholm signed legislation approving the state to spend $873m in Recovery Act highway funding.

The state will invest $635.4m on state trunk lines (US, I and M routes) with $211.8m directed to programmes administered by local jurisdictions and $25.8m for rural and intercity bus capital projects.