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The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced it will award Phoenix's Valley Metro Rail $36 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for the Central Phoenix/East Valley light-rail project.

Proceeds will be used to put the finishing touches on the 19.6-mile light-rail line that opened between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, Ariz., late last year, and enable the agency to begin work on the line's first extension. The monies will help fund signal and communications work, an operations control center and testing of two light-rail vehicles to be put into service.

The stimulus funds will supplement local resources, which have declined during the economic downturn, and hasten investment in the extension. In 2005, the Federal Transit Administration signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement to provide $587 million for the $1.4 billion project. The line serves Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona State University, the Phoenix Convention Center, US Airways Arena and Sun Devil Stadium.