Public Works Administration

The Public Works Administration (PWA) was one of several federal agencies that were established in response to the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program to provide assistance to local governments and businesses in the construction of public facilities such as roads, bridges, and dams. The agency was able to directly finance these projects and also to provide grants and loans to the states and municipalities. The PWA also worked to reduce unemployment by providing people with jobs in the construction industry. The agency was dissolved in 1939 after having completed over 34,000 projects and helped to stimulate the economy during the Great Depression.