![]() Hollinshead said growth in other parts of the state has also diverted funds to transportation improvement projects. ![]() “So, staying current with increasing demand is always going to be an issue.” “We have a challenge of a state that’s always increasing in population and the number of folks on the road,” Hollinshead said. A new interchange just north of Thornton will begin construction in 2016 due to increased roadway use in southern Madison County. New projects are gearing throughout the state in addition to maintaining the highway system according to the tranportation department. “After they get to that mark, they’re in need of replacement or pretty significant improvement.” “Our bridges were designed to last about 50 years,” Hollinshead said. In order to save money since the budget shortfall, the Idaho Transportation Department has been reorganized several times, producing a more efficient department, though it still remains underfunded, King said. “ If we continue to put this off, it’s going to cost us a lot more than if we bite the bullet now and try to resolve some of these things.” “We’ve been putting off maintenance through this recession,” said State Senator Brent Hill. King said that an additional $262 million is needed to maintain the current condition of Idaho’s road network before considerations are made about making needed improvements or replacements. “The biggest challenge is staying current as the bridges age with the resources to make those replacements or improvements in a timely manner.” “When a bridge hits a certain age, it’s in need of replacement or pretty significant improvement,” Hollinshead said. King said the Idaho Transportation Department has determined over 700 bridges statewide are deficient and over 25 percent of the roads are ranked as substandard. “The budget shortfall is one of the biggest challenges facing the department,” said Reed Hollinshead, public information specialist in the department’s Boise office. The gas tax makes approximately 80 percent of the transportation department’s budget, but automotive mileage improvements and inflation have helped produce a budget shortfall in recent years, said Bruce King, a communications officer at the transportation department’s District 6. about raising state and federal gas tax rates as legislative sessions get under way.Īccording to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Idaho’s fuel tax is one of only two assigned sources of income for the state’s transportation department having maintained its 25 cents per gallon level since April 1996. There are over 700 bridges in Idaho that need to be replaced, and over 25 percent of Idaho roads have been deemed sub-standard, according the Idaho Department of Transportation.Ī recent drop in fuel prices have prompted discussions in Boise, Idaho and Washington, D.C. Gas prices have been getting lower since November.
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