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President Obama on March 18 signed into law an extension of the highway bill through the end of the year as part of a $17.6 billion package of tax incentives and bonding proposals aimed at spurring job creation.

After Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) agreed last week to stop blocking legislation that extends the federal highway program, the Senate ap-proved the 30-day extension, allowing state transportation agencies to resume construction projects they had shut down.

Transportation leaders said last week they hoped to complete a long-term surface transportation reauthorization before the end of the year, although paying for the legislation’s increased infrastructure spending remains a major obstacle.