NEWBURYPORT — Put aside the inaccuracy problems with the federal stimulus Web site, and you'll find real money being spent to create real jobs.

That's what state officials say, and one of the projects they point to is the Newburyport Park and Ride lot, located next to Interstate 95. The facility has 510 spaces; the $4.1 million plan would add another 105 spaces, as well as handicapped spots. Once it begins, construction will take 18 months.

"The Patrick-Murray administration is fully committed to ensuring that stimulus funds are invested wisely and in a way that creates jobs for today and jobs for tomorrow," said Jeff Simon, the state's stimulus czar.

"The vast majority of the projects were already in the works," said Colin Durrant, spokesman for the Mass. Department of Transportation. "Most of the projects looked at wouldn't have been able to be afforded to be done as quickly without the money."

Durrant said the Newburyport Park and Ride expansion is emblematic of this.

"This has been a real benefit of the program," Durrant said. "The Park and Ride is a good example of how we are expanding the state's most popular park and ride lot to allow people to carpool and use the buses. It's exciting to be able to do a project people have been asking for, quicker than what was planned."

Simon said it is not necessarily the case that all projects chosen for ARRA money were already in the works. Rather, each project is chosen based on whether they were placed on the state Transportation Improvement Plan. The plan is a list of state- and region-approved transportation projects. ARRA projects on the plan must also have been "shovel-ready," he said.

"Of course, projects already in progress are 'shovel-ready,' but some of the projects that will receive ARRA funding have not yet broken ground," Simon said.

Durrant said while the Web site that tracks how and where stimulus money will be spent shows the Park and Ride will not create jobs, the Web site is out of date.

Simon said the reporting period for ARRA funds was from beginning of the ARRA legislation in February through Sept. 30.

"The note to proceed report was as of September," Durrant said. "So the site is actually several months behind. The Park and Ride is going to create jobs because there will be construction."

Durrant was unsure how many jobs the Park and Ride lot expansion would create.

"There is a lag in reporting," he said.

Simon said in the next few months, it is not likely more transportation projects will be added locally.

"The governor has issued his list of proposed projects for the next round of ARRA highway projects (in February) and that list is available on MassDOT's Web site," Simon said. None of the proposed projects fall in the Greater Newburyport area. The closest project is in Lynn.

"ARRA is clearly helping to create and retain jobs in Massachusetts. Funds through state agencies alone created or retained over 8,700 full-time equivalent jobs, representing over 23,500 individuals," Simon said. "We're making investments across the Commonwealth in transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency, education, and Safety Net services that have already benefitted millions of Massachusetts residents."