SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) Construction has begun on a freeway widening project through downtown San Bernardino that’s received $128 million in federal stimulus funding and promises to create thousands of jobs.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, state and local officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the latest phase of the Interstate 215 project Sept. 14.

Officials say it’s the largest stimulus-funded freeway project to begin construction. They say the money will support about 2,000 jobs per year for the next four years in a region that has some of the nation’s worst unemployment and foreclosure rate.

The full project is expected to finish in 2013 for about $800 million.

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