WASHINGTON The Federal Highway Administration reported crossing the $20 billion mark in approved federal stimulus obligations for highway, road and bridge projects.

Of the $26.6 billion available for federal highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 75 percent has now been obligated.

"Even though winter is right around the corner, highway and bridge projects are still getting underway, creating thousands of jobs and saving thousands more," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

"The Recovery Act is helping repair Americas roads and bridges while putting people back to work."

Here are some of the bigger projects that have gotten underway:

The $36 million replacement of the I-25/Alameda bridge in Denver

Construction has begun on the $26.2 million I-279/Fort Duquesne Bridge preservation project in Pittsburgh.

Work is underway in San Bernardino, Calif., on a massive billion-dollar project, using $128 million in stimulus money for additional lanes on I-215 to reduce traffic congestion.

Work has stated on the three-mile extension of Minneapolis Trunk Highway 610 to I-94. When completed, the project will reduce congestion.

In Nelsonville, OH, construction started on the 8.5-mile, four-lane highway to divert interstate traffic from local streets.

Nearly 8,500 highway projects have been approved and nearly 5,000 are reported to be underway.

An Alabama motorcoach operator reported that reconstruction of I-59, from mile marker 181 to mile marker 193 has begun, forcing the closing of the north bound lanes. North bound traffic has been diverted to a south bound lane, with concrete barriers separating the lanes.

The project, which will take two years to do both sides, cuts through the mountainous area at Stevens Gap.

The operator considers the construction area dangerous and recommends north bound coaches exit the highway at mile marker 181 and take U.S. 11, and south bound buses exit at mile marker 205 to U.S. 11, which parallels the interstate.

Officials in Vermont and New York have decided the Crown Point Bridge connecting the states at the southern tip of Lake Champlain is too badly deteriorated to repair. The 80-year-old bridge was closed in mid October after engineers said cracks in its piers were so severe it could collapse.

The states are trying to establish a ferry service.