Governor Peter Shumlin and other state officials are highlighting Vermont's successes in improving the state's transportation infrastructure.
On Monday, Shumlin, Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras and others highlighted two bridge projects in Rutland.
Construction on the Ripley and Dorr bridges in Rutland will cost an estimated $13.8 million and help improve the road networks in Rutland. Work is set to begin in the spring.
The bridges are part of this year's $685.7 million Transportation Bill, one of Vermont's biggest road construction budgets in years.
In 2008, Vermont ranked 45th in the nation in the number of structurally deficient bridges. By last year, the state ranked 28th. Since 2008 the percentage of structurally deficient bridges dropped from 19.7 percent to just over 8 percent.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.