The Washington State Department of Transportation says it plans to seek another slice of federal stimulus funds. So far, such funds have created 1,500 construction jobs in the state.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is accepting applications for $527 million available through the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery program that was created through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond says in a press release.

"These federal stimulus grants provide jobs and improve Washington's transportation system—two of the most important factors of getting the economy moving," Hammond says.

WSDOT and local governments used TIGER grants on high-priority highway, bridge, rail, port, and transit projects statewide, including the North Spokane Corridor project. A $35 million TIGER grant awarded to that project earlier this year is funding construction of a 3.7-mile segment of three southbound lanes of the freeway between Francis Avenue and Farwell Road.

"We made strategic investments and also made a commitment to be transparent and accountable with the TIGER grants and all federal stimulus funding," Hammond says. "Our reporting program is now a model used across the country."

Grant requests are due by Oct. 21.