Highway ramps and low-speed highways could go unrepaired due to a reported $700 million funding shortfall in the state Department of Transportation. The shortfall was reported during a meeting of the Joint Transportation Committee last week and covered in the online news source, The Lens.
The article notes that Washington drivers pay the nation’s fourth-highest gasoline tax, $.494 state tax on every gallon of fuel pumped into their vehicle.
The state’s transportation system is considered the backbone of the economy and is heavily relied upon both by retailers and consumers. At the meeting, Deputy Transportation Secretary Keith Metcalf said the state has become lax in highway maintenance and noted several unfinished projects. He said it includes replacement and maintenance of bridges and ferries.
