Monday, June 16, 2008; Posted 5:13 p.m. (CDT)
The federal Highway Trust Fund is expecting a shortfall of $3.7 billion for the 2009 fiscal year and that shortfall may trickle down to our state.
When it comes to the roads and funding, it seems everyone has an opinion.
Brad Long, a Tuttle resident, says, "I think they shouldn't take any money from the roads. Oklahoma has the worst roads in the U.S."
Oklahoma City resident Bennie Williams says, "The roads are bad enough."
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is projecting if federal funding is cut for the 2009 fiscal year, the state could stand to lose $173 million. The department is also estimating up to 6,000 construction workers could lose their jobs.
Terri Angier, a spokesperson for O.D.O.T., says, "On the national level, there's a lot of studies looking at the impacts of this. Of course, they're all estimates at this point."
But Angier says along with the bad news, she wants Oklahoma drivers to remember the good news. Oklahoma lawmakers approved a $300 million bond package. It's an eight year plan that will cover existing projects.
"It has caused us to begin to be able to plan in a way that we've always wanted to," says Angier. "It is more stable."
But the funding for the roads isn't the only concern for drivers. They're also concerned that some people could stand to lose their jobs.
Long says, "Gas prices are going up, everybody is losing their jobs. It's just not good."
Williams says, "We're going to have a new president, so that's what I'm looking forward too."
We did ask Angier about particular projects such as the I-40 Crosstown project. She says it's too early to know exactly how this will impact any of the projects.
