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WV'S COUNTY AND SECONDARY ROADS POOR TO FAIR - Legislature Facing Challenge |
| (12/07/2009) |
| The West Virginia highway department is vexed about what to do with the state's highways, which are lagging behind in getting repairs. That's in addition to big problems with bridges, many built in the first half of the 20th century. The tax money that funds the repairs has been stagnant for several years. Tom Witt, an associate dean at West Virginia University and head of its Bureau of Business and Economic Research, will be making recommendations to a legislative committee this week. "Some I imagine will be dead on arrival," Witt said. Rising costs of such basic materials as concrete and asphalt are problems. Many highway workers are upset because they say the agency is eliminating its ability to repair highways with its own labor force and equipment, opting to contract more services. There was a time when the department actually produced some of its own road building materials. Legislators were convinced it was cheaper to contract the services from private business. A recent upgrade of about a mile of Rt. 16 at Grantsville cost a half-million dollars, including asphalt, drains and some widening. The problem is revenues from the fund's user-based taxes on gas, vehicle sales and registrations have flattened in recent years. Those three taxes supply 99.7 percent of the state's share of the road fund, matched by federal dollars. Brent Walker, a Division of Highways spokesman said, "What happens? We delay maintenance. We delay projects." While the interstate system is in pretty good shape, the department admits secondary and county roads are poor to fair.
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