|
Publication: The Charleston Daily Mail
Release Date: 04/29/2010
THE bad news is that the federal government has repeatedly propped itself up by borrowing ever-larger amounts of money from Chinese peasants. The good news is that with its share of borrowed congressional generosity, the state Division of Highways got a $210.8 million boost in last year's budget. Thus, West Virginians will benefit from more highway work this construction season.
"Across the board, year in and year out, there will be projects that just aren't funded without some additional assistance," Division of Highways spokesman Brent Walker said. "So when you have a stimulus program, it allows us to fund those much-needed projects."
The division will do a bit more maintenance and paving, and give some of the state's bridges more attention. The turnpike will see more work as well.
But as the Division of Highways has pointed out, the funding strategy that underlies the State Road Fund doesn't produce enough money to take care of 36,000 miles of roads and 6,700 bridges.
The division has said it needs as much as $800 million more a year. West Virginians still must rethink how they will maintain vital infrastructure.
|