Eastside commuters traveling between Mercer Island and Seattle along Interstate 90 today may have noticed something a little out of the ordinary.



Labor-friendly group flew a 100-foot-tall balloon banner over the I-90 Floating Bridge entrance on the Seattle side during rush-hour traffic to raise awareness of the American Jobs Act, which includes investments in bridges and other infrastructure. Congress will be considering the act this morning.



"Among those standing with the banner will be retired people, students, and unemployed people," said Sage Wilson of Working Washington. "(They) are calling for our political leaders to take action to address the jobs crisis."



Members of Working Washington joined the Backbone campaign, a grassroots effort to held elected officials accountable. The groups plan to to the same for the evening rush hour to draw attention to the jobs crisis.



The Jobs Act could create 9,600 jobs in Washington alone by investing in repairs bridges, roads, and other projects, Wilson said.



"There is plenty of work to be done: nearly 50 bridges in King County alone have been deemed 'structurally deficient,' and 349 more are 'functionally obsolete,'" Wilson said, attributing the numbers to the Federal Highway Administration.