Even before it became law, the federal stimulus package was putting people to work in Vermont.
The Vermont Transportation Agency has been hiring outside engineers to ensure there are enough projects ready to go as soon as the money becomes available.
So for the last few months contracted engineers have been peering into culverts, poking at bridges and testing pavement to be ready for the stimulus money.
George Bogue of Stantec Consulting of South Burlington says that work was drying up last fall. The promise of stimulus money has kept his firm busy all winter.