Wyoming DOT Moves Up 19 Highway Projects, Made Possible through Fuel Tax Increase

AASHTO Journal, 22 November 2013

Wyoming Department of Transportation officials recently announced the department will start 19 highway projects in 2014 instead of later years thanks to funding from the state’s new 10-cent fuel tax increase that took effect in July (see related AASHTO Journal story here).

WYDOT estimates it will generate an additional $47.5 million revenue annually, which will result in a 15 percent increase in WYDOT’s construction budget for fiscal year 2014. These 19 projects are among 52 outlined by WYDOT to begin construction during the next three fiscal years.

“We’re happy to have this long-term funding source that we can count on and plan around and use to benefit the highway system,” said WYDOT Director and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Vice President John Cox in a statement. “The approach specified by the Legislature will help with improvements in highway conditions around the state.”

WYDOT anticipates other projectss moving up in the future as well. In fact, WYDOT officials say “the tentative plan for using the additional fuel tax money the department will receive includes another 16 projects in fiscal year 2015 and 18 projects in fiscal year 2016.”

“There was an identified need for this work, but the projects had been delayed in the State Transportation Improvement Program because of funding constraints,” said WYDOT Assistant Chief Engineer Gregg Frederick. “We had already done some preliminary engineering but now we’re accelerating the design to bring those projects into fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016.”

Additional information on WYDOT’s STIP is available here.

 

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