Caldecott tunnel

California has received federal transportation funds of $155m after the state met all its federal transportation project deadlines in 2013.

When US states do not spend federal transportation funds before deadlines, all the money is reverted to a federal pool and redistributed to states that have completed all requirements.

This year, of the total federal pool of $1.6bn, California received $155m, the highest in the country.

The California Transportation Agency secretary Brian Kelly said that the federal government has rewarded Caltrans for using all of its federal funding to launch new construction projects before federal deadlines.

"This year’s funding increase enables Caltrans to build even more projects that create jobs and improve the state’s transportation system," Kelly added.

"This year, of the total federal pool of $1.6bn, California received $155m, the highest in the country."

Caltrans will receive $97m of the additional funding and local transportation agencies will get $58m.

The latest funding must be prioritised for projects that meet the federal deadline of 30 September 2013.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) director Malcolm Dougherty said: "We will put these transportation dollars to work supporting jobs and making improvements that will benefit Californians for decades to come."

California has, to date, undertaken various major transportation infrastructure projects, including the $391m Caldecott Tunnel Project, the $439m Devil’s Slide Project and the $122m Interstate 5 North Stockton Improvement Project.

Image: Western entrance of the Caldecott Tunnel in California.