Virginia DOT Reduces Payments to Counties for Road Maintenance (AASHTO)
Virginia officials have eliminated much of the state’s funding for regional secondary-road programs because of a budget crunch. Dozens of road improvements and repairs across the state will grind to a halt by July and August as the new fiscal year begins.
In Northern Virginia, a Washington Post analysis found at least $68 million worth of road projects are slowing down or have been canceled because of the state’s June budget decision to focus on existing primary-road projects that handle more traffic and are eligible to receive federal matching money.
“We are seeing the secondary-road pavements continue to age and deteriorate, and we simply do not have enough resources at this time to address those needs,” said Jeff Caldwell, a Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman.
In 2004, the state’s most-populous county, Fairfax County in the Washington suburbs, received $29 million from VDOT for secondary-road maintenance. Last fiscal year, the county received $238,000. That amount has shrunk to $1,989 for the fiscal year that began Thursday.
