U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Tuesday will try to break an election-year deadlock over a stalled transportation construction bill that could create or save millions of jobs.

"There is going to be a meeting today," Boehner told reporters, signaling stepped-up efforts to cut a bipartisan deal on the $109 billion measure that could give a lift to the struggling U.S. economy.

The meeting with Reid and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer was set for about 4 p.m. (2000 GMT) in the Speaker's office.

"I'm going to stress to Senator Reid and Senator Boxer that we want a bill, but we also are also going to insist on reforming the process by which we spend the highway tax dollars that the American voters give us to rebuild America's highways," Boehner said.

The current U.S. funding authorization for road, bridge and rail transit projects expires on June 30.