If the Highway Trust Fund becomes insolvent this summer, it could delay or temporarily shelve dozens of federally funded projects in Washington, according to the state Department of Transportation. Among those is a planned paving project on Interstate 5 between Northeast 39th and 99th streets in Clark County.
There are 43 Washington highway projects totaling $29 million that could be impacted by the federal shortfall. The I-5 paving in Clark County accounts for about $950,000 of that. The state typically receives reimbursements for projects that are federally funded, and the crisis could throw schedules into turmoil during the height of the construction season.
The area’s largest highway projects, such as the $133 million Salmon Creek Interchange Project at I-5 and Interstate 205, are paid for by state gas taxes and thus not connected to the federal Highway Trust Fund.
A WSDOT spokesman said last month the agency is “cautiously optimistic” that Congress will act in time to keep the fund from running out of money.
— Eric Florip
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday that it would start limiting payments to states for road and transit projects next month in an attempt to conserve the federal Highway Trust Fund’s rapidly diminishing cash balance.
If the Highway Trust Fund becomes insolvent this summer, it could delay or temporarily shelve dozens of federally funded projects in Washington, according to the state Department of Transportation. Among those is a planned paving project on Interstate 5 between Northeast 39th and 99th streets in Clark County.
There are 43 Washington highway projects totaling $29 million that could be impacted by the federal shortfall. The I-5 paving in Clark County accounts for about $950,000 of that. The state typically receives reimbursements for projects that are federally funded, and the crisis could throw schedules into turmoil during the height of the construction season.
The area's largest highway projects, such as the $133 million Salmon Creek Interchange Project at I-5 and Interstate 205, are paid for by state gas taxes and thus not connected to the federal Highway Trust Fund.
A WSDOT spokesman said last month the agency is "cautiously optimistic" that Congress will act in time to keep the fund from running out of money.
-- Eric Florip
Usually, the department reimburses states for transportation projects upon request. But beginning Aug. 1, the states will have to live paycheck to paycheck, receiving funds only once every two weeks as money is collected through federal gasoline taxes.
The move may put pressure on Congress to approve at least a short-term fix before its August break begins. The DOT estimates that the highway fund will hit zero in late August, potentially idling several hundred thousand workers as midterm elections loom in the fall.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx wrote his state counterparts Tuesday that they would see, on average, a 28 percent reduction in funds.
“Depending on how they manage the funds, each state will feel the effects differently, but everyone will feel the impact sooner or later,” he wrote.
Congress has only 16 working days to reach an agreement before the August recess. Finding even a short-term solution might prove difficult. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee attempted to move forward with a $9 billion proposal to restore the highway fund through year’s end.
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