WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed an agreement providing $46.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for work to continue on the state’s aggressive high-speed rail program. The funding is the latest installment from the $822 million that President Obama announced for Wisconsin high-speed rail from the Recovery Act in January.

Wisconsin previously received a $5.7 million Recovery Act grant that brings their high-speed rail total to $52.2 million. Nationally, an unprecedented $8 billion down payment for the creation of a national network of interconnected high-speed rail corridors was included in the Recovery Act.

“President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail is a game-changer for transportation in Wisconsin and the United States,” Secretary LaHood said. “This undertaking is not only creating good jobs and reinvigorating our manufacturing base, it’s also going to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Under the grant agreement, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will complete preliminary engineering and final design work, conduct program management activities, and complete environmental management plans for the Milwaukee to Madison high-speed rail corridor that will operate at speeds up to 110 miles per hour.

“The construction of the Chicago to Madison line will create thousands of jobs over the next few years. Because of everyone’s hard work, and because of President Obama’s vision and investment, Wisconsin will see the long-term economic benefits and thousands of new jobs from the construction of high speed rail,” Governor Doyle said.

The previous grant obligation of $5.7 million is currently funding environmental assessments of planned new stations between Milwaukee and Madison.