Stimulus in action: Providing a job, building a bridge

According to Joe Graham, the North Bank Bridge project is "one of the better projects" he has worked on.

The project involves building a bicycle and pedestrian bridge from East Cambridge to City Square in Charlestown, an under bridge plaza and expanding North Point Park. It is being funded with $29.6 million in stimulus funds. Graham, a civil engineer, was hired eight months ago to work on this stimulus-funded project.

"I didn't like what I was doing and it was time to move on," said Graham, who had previously worked for a federal government contractor in Lowell. "I wanted to work on a large civil construction project and now I am. I love where I'm at."

Graham had applied online through the state's job search site and was thrilled when he heard he got the job. "There is a lot of interesting things I'm learning here," he said. "It's such a giant project with a 750-foot bridge and six piers.

This is everything a civil engineer goes to school for."

Graham noted that on his second day on the job, the district engineer told him the history of the project, including the fact that it was funded by the Recovery Act.

"I'm grateful for those stimulus funds," he said. "Without them, I wouldn't be here."