Experts says public works jobs helped get the country out of the Great Depression, now they hope the stimulus funds help get the nation out of the great recession.
Evidence of the plan could be seen on Alma Street in San Jose Monday as heavy equipment rolled in town to begin a much needed road project.
Critics call Alma Street one of the nastiest in San Jose.
"This stretch of road in particular gets kind of bad sometimes, a little bumpy," said driver Lisa Matay.
But that is about to change now that South Bay congressional and San Jose city leaders have unveiled its portion of federal stimulus funds.
$56 million of it is headed to San Jose.
They’ll use almost $15 million on road construction jobs alone.
"It’s a pretty big shot in the arm,” said Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren.
The funds come at a time when the Building and Construction Trades Council of Santa Clara and San Benito Counties struggles with what it calls 30 percent unemployment in the construction industry.
"The amount of construction going on has dropped dramatically," said san Jose Mayor Chuck Reed.
"We're looking at permits going down, the stimulus funding could not have come at a better time," said Reed.
