BOSTON—A federal official says the Obama administration told Massachusetts officials not to use $9 million in federal stimulus money to build a pedestrian footbridge outside the home of the New England Patriots.
Last week, the state pulled stimulus funding for the project, saying it would not be ready for construction by a federal deadline at the end of February.
State Transportation Secretary Jeff Mullan on Monday said a regional Federal Highway Administration official raised concerns about using stimulus money for the project. The official cited news reports about team owner Robert Kraft and his wife recently making political donations to Gov. Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
A federal Transportation Department official who demanded anonymity to speak about internal discussions says the Obama administration feels there are "more important projects" to fund with the stimulus money.
