Stimulus money to pave way for AEDC improvements

The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and will be used to inspect bridges, for the repair, improvement, and paving of several roads and parking lots, and upgrades to Wattendorf Highway.

Also to be funded will be the replacement of a central heat and air unit for the base headquarters building, repair work for Steam Plant A, and ventilation system repairs to the base's chemical lab.

According to Joel Fortner, spokesman for the center, the ARRA provides approximately $1 billion additional funding for facility sustainment and repairs at Air Force Active, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve installations.

"We at AEDC are grateful for these funds as they address many long-standing needs and will help ensure we have a quality installation to support our ongoing test mission," Fortner said. "We also look forward to partnering with commercial entities to perform the envisioned work."

In all, approximately 3,000 military construction and facility improvement projects are funded by ARRA, according to the Department of Defense.

The $5.9 billion budget for these construction and repair projects represents the bulk of the approximately $7.4 billion in defense-related funding provided by the ARRA signed by President Obama last month.

A total of $2.7 million is set aside for the repair and overlay of Wattendorf Highway while $1.7 million will go for the repair of the ventilation system in the AEDC chemical lab.

The repair of Steam Plant A will cost $887,000, replacement of the heating unit for the headquarters building will be $487,000 and $485,000 will go to the repair of the parking lot at the base's administration office.

The paving of roads and parking near the J-6 Propulsion Engineering Test Cell will cost $408,000, sustaining the parking lot for Sea Level Propulsion Engineering Test Cell will be done at a cost of $234,000 and maintaining parking lots base wide will cost $188,000.

Paving the parking lot at the base's motor pool will take $183,000 in stimulus funds, $161,000 will go for the repair of Old Brick Church Road and sustaining the parking and driveway of the Aerodynamic and Preplacement Test Unit will cost $140,000.

Paving the side road at the bulk fuel farm will cost $118,000, $67,000 will go to the repair of the base's rifle range and $21,000 is dedicated to the inspection of seven bridges at AEDC.