HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT CUTS $48 MIL FROM PROJECTS - Hard Winter Storms Drains Funds

(05/12/2003)

Thinking about your pot-holed road getting paved this summer? The state highway department is cutting $48 million dollars from its construction program to compensate for increased personnel costs and snow and ice removal overruns during the past winter. The WVDOH will be paving fewer roads, replacing fewer bridges and eliminating planned improvements across the state. At least 1,200 construction jobs will be lost this summer because of state overruns. Some state and industry officials are questioning if West Virginia's highway program should be modified, and if tax increases are necessary to keep the system from deteriorating. The division originally planned to spend $123 million dollars in state funds on bridges, paving, equipment, maintenance and general construction projects. The amount was recently cut to $75 million dollars. State Transportation Secretary Fred VanKirk says an additional six million dollars must be spent to cover increases in health insurance and benefits for the the department's estimated five-thousand employees.

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