The president-elect's address never once used the word "spend," relying instead on "invest" or "investments," and pledging wise stewardship of taxpayer money in upgrading roads and schools, and making public buildings more energy-efficient.
"We won't just throw money at the problem," Obama said. "We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve - by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
Obama said his plan would employ millions of people by "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s." He said state officials would lose the federal dollars if they did not quickly use the money for repairs.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, a 1991 final estimate of the cost of the interstate system put it at $128.9 billion, with a federal share of $114.3 billion. The estimate covered only the mileage (42,795 miles) built under the interstate construction program. Construction of the system began in 1956 under President Dwight Eisenhower.
More than 5,000 highway projects are ready to go today, state transportation officials say, if Congress will pony up $64.3 billion as part of an economic plan.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which compiled the list, said the projects would provide jobs and help reduce a backlog of crumbling roads and bridges.
A bipartisan group of governors recently met with Obama to press for some $136 billion in infrastructure projects in addition to money for healthcare costs.
Several governors welcomed Obama's economic plan.
Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia said the state had more than a billion dollars in "ready-to-go" projects that have been planned for and can be under contract within 180 days. "His plan will put people to work and give the economy a critically important boost," Kaine said in a written statement.
In a joint statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and Governors Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California said it would help the United States stay ahead of other countries.
"To stay competitive globally, the time to repair and modernize our nation's infrastructure is now," they said.
In the address, Obama also said he wants to install energy-saving light bulbs and replace old heating systems in federal buildings to cut costs and create jobs.
