The Senate and House of Representatives voted to extend the current surface transportation bill through the beginning of next March to keep current state funding levels afloat.

The Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act of 2011 means programs administered by the Department of Transportation and TSA will continue on through March 4 at fiscal year 2010 levels. This includes an extension of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or  SAFETEA-LU. The previous extension of SAFETEA-LU was set to expire on on New Year's Eve.

The continuing resolution of SAFETEA-LU was the sixth extension since the act officially expired on Sept. 30, 2009. Incoming Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-FL) said he hopes Congress will draft a new, long-term authorization bill next month. His predecessor, Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) who was voted out of office in November, had said he preferred another short-term fix instead of too quickly ramming through a bill.

The 112th Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 5.