The backlog of road and bridge projects in Louisiana has grown to 19 billion dollars according to new Department of Transportation Secretary Joe Donahue. The state’s gasoline of tax of 20-cents a gallon is not keeping up with inflation and the growing number of projects that need to be completed. Donahue says staff will look at ways to dedicate more dollars to transportation projects.
“At that point I fully expect the governor and the legislature to take steps to provide the revenue that would be needed in order to begin to addressing that backlog.”
Donahue says the amount of revenue the state has to spend each year is not keeping up the number of projects that need to be completed.
“And that is a direct result of the funding that we’re at, not keeping up with inflation. Not keeping up with the deterioration that has occurred since the last time that the transportation system was assessed.
Last year, DOTD received $210 million, the largest amount on record, in federal highway funding from the Federal Highway Administration under the former Governor Edwards administration.
Donahue says they’ll continue to go after federal dollars and also look to see how they can additional state dollars to go towards highway projects.
“Number one like I said to make the department is operating efficiently. The second prong of that is to increase the funding to a level where we have the means and the ability to place those funds where they’ll do the most good and make the most impact.”
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