AASHTO Journal editor@aashto.org May 15, 2020
A new 48-page report compiled by national transportation research nonprofit TRIP indicates that America’s rural road network suffers from a $211 billion backlog in funding for needed repairs and improvements.
That report – entitled Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland – noted that addressing the investment needs of the nation’s rural transportation system is being complicated by “the tremendous decrease in vehicle travel that has occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” which is projected to slice state transportation revenues by at least 30 percent – approximately $50 billion – over the next 18 months.
“The nation’s rural roads and bridges already faced a significant funding shortfall, and that will only be exacerbated by the looming reduction in state transportation revenues as a result of decreased vehicle travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dave Kearby, TRIP’s executive director, in a statement...
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