Iowa’s road and bridge conditions worsen as financing concerns heighten
AMES, Iowa – Dec. 31, 2008 – Today, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) released a report to the Iowa General Assembly that analyzed the critical needs of Iowa’s roadway systems and revenues to support them.
The Iowa DOT analysis shows that the funding shortfall to meet the most critical road and bridge needs has increased from $200 to $267 million annually.
The report finds that road and bridge conditions are worsening due to insufficient investment and the impact of extreme weather conditions, coupled with rising construction costs and flattening of state and federal revenues, which reduce the buying power of state and local agencies.
“We’ve taken meaningful steps that begin to close this gap, including the TIME-21 funding bill passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Culver that will provide millions of additional dollars in support of road projects,” said Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson. “Addressing our infrastructure needs is important at many different levels, from the safety of the public to revitalizing our economy. With the Governor’s support, the Iowa DOT will continue to work with state and federal leaders to address these critical needs for all of Iowa.”
SF 2420, which was signed into law by Governor Culver on April 22, 2008, creates annual funding of $165.5 million for road and bridge infrastructure projects by 2018. Collected fees from this legislation are deposited in the TIME-21 Fund, which was established in 2007. Sixty percent of these dollars will be used to fund primary roads, with another 20 percent used for secondary roads and 20 percent for city street projects.
The report was published pursuant to Section 26 of Senate File 2420 from the 82nd General Assembly, which required the Iowa DOT to provide an analysis of the TIME-21 funding shortfall and an assessment of funding options to appropriately balance taxes and fees paid by in-state and out-of-state drivers.
The latest report, as well as the original report from which this report provides updated information, is available on the Iowa DOT’s Web site at: http://www.iowadot.gov/time21/resources.htm.
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Contact: Stuart Anderson, 515-239-1312 or [email protected] (available after the New Year’s Day holiday)