Montana’s 2017 Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Act (BRSA) has allowed the state’s department of transportation to match federal highway funds. Without the BRSA increase, Montana would have lost federal funding and local governments could not have commenced their much-needed resurfacing projects. Read more.
South Dakota officials worry that the current U.S. government shutdown could impact upcoming road and bridge projects. While the U.S. Department of Transportation remains in operation, other federal departments that are closed— such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Forest Service— are required for approval on certain road projects. No projects have currently been delayed, but the likelihood increases each day these agencies are closed. Read more.
Funding for improvements along the I-81 corridor will be generated by six tolls with limited rates and fixed-fee-annual-passes for automobiles and small trucks. However, Virginia State Sen. John Edwards (D-21) has proposed raising revenue through the statewide wholesale gas tax as opposed to tolls. Read more.
California’s 2017 Road Repair and Accountability Act (SB 1) is providing a significant portion of funding to the State Highway Operations and Protection Program. In adherence to SB 1’s performance requirements, the California Transportation Commission will focus on improving and repairing pavement, bridges, culverts, and intelligent transportation systems. Read more.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) has proposed a $351 million bond to repair or replace 250 bridges across the state that would be funded through budget savings. This alternate funding route comes after voters defeated a proposed 10-cents-a-gallon increase in the gas tax to pay for road and bridge repairs. The plan assumes healthy revenue growth to pay for the increase in government spending, however, Parson has also announced multiple spending reductions to free up revenue. Read more.