The Indiana Department of Transportation says the cost of maintaining Indiana’s roads is substantial and growing, while the revenue streams used to pay for those repairs are decreasing. Yet, the legislature will likely be unable address that issue in its next budget.
INDOT estimates the state will need at least $150 million more per year in the next ten years to adequately maintain its roads and bridges. Lawmakers expect a study that’s being conducted to help answer its questions about future funding sources, but that study won’t be ready until later next year, well after a new budget is passed.
Senate Appropriations Chair Luke Kenley says the study should answer other questions too.
“One of the reasons that we’re waiting is to get the information on what we think these major projects that we have on the table are in the mix and I’m comfortable that we can wait until we see what that is,” Kenley said.
House Transportation Committee Chair Ed Soliday says because the study will potentially answer so many questions, it will be important for the upcoming budget to simply maintain the status quo in road funding and not go much further.
“I would hate to see us do something…throw something on the wall, see if it sticks and say, ‘That answers it,’” Soliday said.
The General Assembly will begin writing the state budget in January.
