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Transportation Officials Face Shortage

KSBI News

Story Created: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:30 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:30 PM CST

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma transportation officials say they are concerned about the future of federal spending on road and bridge projects.

Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and other agencies discussed their concerns Wednesday during a meeting of the Oklahoma ROADS Task Force.

Mike Patterson, director of finance for the Transportation Department, says the state has lost $391 million in federal highway funds since 2002 because Congress did not appropriate as much money as it authorized.

Patterson also says fuel taxes collected by the state and federal governments for roads and bridges are not raising enough money.

He says the high price of fuel has forced motorists to travel less, reducing the amount of fuel tax revenue.