Oink If You Love Pork

By Alain L. Sanders

Coming your way in time for the fall elections: speeches and ribbon cuttings for more than 1,800 pet projects tucked into the $203 billion highway law signed by President Clinton last week. Among the goodies Congress plucked from the pork barrel:

BUILDING BRIDGES For Senate majority leader Trent Lott's hometown: a new, eight-lane span to replace an old drawbridge over the Pascagoula River. $38 million

GARDEN STOP What do roads and the Missouri Botanical Garden have in common? The answer from Education member Rep. Bill Clay: a new park-ride and bus facility. $900,000

NOT FOR CARS ONLY Autos are banned from Mackinac Island, Mich. But Commerce panelist Rep. Bart Stupak thinks cyclists, horse riders and roller bladers have rights of way too. $800,000

ATOP THE HILL On a clear day, you can see forever. Senior Transportation panel member Rep. Jim Oberstar gets a National Scenic Byways Center for Duluth. $9 million

WHEN YA GOTTA GO Rep. Bob Ney of the Water Resources panel understands federal relief. Two rest stops on a rural stretch of road in Ohio are going to get flush toilets. $40,000

FREEWAY RIDE Give 'em a break. To help cars avoid local construction, Transportation chairman Bud Shuster wants drivers to travel toll free on the Penn. Turnpike in his district. $3 million

LIGHTS, CAMERAS Thanks to Rep. Bill Pascrell of Transportation, there'll be a gripping TV show on everything you wanted to know about infrastructure and jobs. $2.8 million

PEDDLING PEDALS A car and a bike in every garage. From Senate Public Works chairman John Chafee's Rhode Island to Oregon, America obtains more bike paths. $80 million

--By Alain L. Sanders. Reported by Melissa August and Wendy King/Washington

With reporting by MELISSA AUGUST AND WENDY KING/WASHINGTON