MnDOT: State will be short on $30B needed for road upkeep
The state of Minnesota will be billions of dollars short in transportation funding by 2033, according to new projections by the state Department of Transportation.
MnDOT released the final version of its 20-year State Highway Improvement Plan Monday. It projects that state highways will need $30 billion in funding over the next 20 years to keep up with demand and maintain the roads the state already has.
Minnesota is only projected to collect about $18 billion in fuel and vehicle sales taxes over those two decades.
Changing driving habits are part of the story, said MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht.
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"People are driving more fuel efficient cars, which is a good thing, and people are driving less, actually," said Gutknecht. "Consequently, we're finding that fuel tax, although it's been kind of a workhorse of transportation funding over the years, it can't be the only thing we use if we're going to figure out a long-term funding solution."
Minnesota currently ranks 38th in the country in terms of pavement quality, according to the report.
Minnesota instituted a gas tax increase, over a veto by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in 2008. That money helped fund a campaign to improve the state's bridges in the wake of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.
Minnesota now ranks 9th in the country in bridge quality, according to MnDOT. Still, MnDOT projects the number of roads and bridges in poor condition will more than double, and perhaps triple in the next 20 years.
Officials say maintenance will consume much of the available funding without new finances.
"As the funding gets tighter, we're going to have to make some harder and harder choices," Gutknecht said.