Where will money
come from for U.S. 20?
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, April 14, 2007
The push for a four-lane U.S. 20 in western Iowa won't mean much without funding to complete the project. Therein lies the rub, even advocates for the four-lane project acknowledge.
At the third U.S. 20 Summit in four years, 80 people at the Sioux City Convention Center heard all the reasons why a four-lane highway would be beneficial, from safety to decreased travel time to opening the area to economic development. They also heard that the project is about $400 million short of the $518 million estimated cost.
You can buy a lot of M&M candies with that. Buck Boekelman of the U.S. 20 Corridor Association frequently brings M&M's to remind Iowa Transportation Commission members that the project connecting Moorland to Moville (M to M) is a big priority. They've come to be expected by Iowa Department of Transportation director Nancy Richardson.
While Richardson said the U.S. 20 project is important to the IDOT, along with projects to improve U.S. 30 in eastern Iowa, and Highways 61 and 63, she acknowledged unless there is more revenue for IDOT, the projects can't advance.
She cited a 2006 report prepared for the Iowa Legislature, which showed that over the next 20 years, as construction costs rise and revenue levels off, IDOT will have a $27 billion shortfall, which amounts to about $1.3 billion a year.
Richardson said Iowa legislators must look at ways to increase DOT revenue, from increasing the gas tax to raising fees for vehicle registrations or driver's licenses. She noted the gasoline tax was increased five times in the 1980s, but not at all since 1989. Each one-cent increase in the gasoline tax would raise $22 million.
Iowa Congressman Tom Latham said the federal government has provided funding to the state highway departments. In the last five-year transportation bill passed in 2005, Latham noted there was an increase of 34 percent over the prior bill, and $21 million was steered to U.S. 20. That broke down to $13 million for work connecting Moorland to Rockwell City and $8 million for planning and environmental work in Woodbury, Ida and Sac counties.
Latham said the failure to complete U.S. 20 -- planning for four-laning the highway goes back to 1952 and "this should have been done yesterday," he said -- "continues to be a matter of priorities of the Iowa DOT." He added, "there is no reason this can't be higher on the priorities" of the department.
Richardson said when the next five-year federal highway funding bill is worked out in 2010, it will come at a time when the national interstate highway system will need attention and other states will be seeking money, just like Iowa.
Richardson said there is "a fair amount of consensus" that Iowa legislators recognize the IDOT funding needs. Richardson said with two weeks left in the 2007 legislative year, there is no bill addressing more revenue for IDOT, although it still could come out of the Ways and Means Committees, she said. "Our concern is getting a bill out, so there can be floor debate on it," Richardson said.
"No legislative body wants to raise a lot of taxes and fees," she said. But without more funding settled this spring, Richardson said the next five-year plan for 2008-2012 projects would become caretaking in nature. "We are going to be saying 'No,' more, and people don't want to hear that," she said.
Ideally, Richardson said, a process would be put in place "so that road fund revenue gets some consideration" annually in the legislature.
The estimated cost to take the Moorland to Moville section from two to four miles has increased from $450 million to $518 million, and it likely will go much higher before completion.
"It isn't all going to get built by 2012, so obviously it is going to be more than $518 million before it is all said and done," Richardson said.
Richardson said she wanted to make sure that the good news of the U.S. 20 project is known. "At least now we have everything in queue for all 91 miles," she said.
This summer there will be a bid letting for grading work from Moorland to Rockwell City, where "we are grading for four (lanes), paving for two," Richardson explained. That 20-mile section should be paved by 2012, she estimated.
Right-of-way acquisition of property for the highway from Iowa Iowa Highway 4 at Rockwell City to U.S. Highway 71 near Early is planned at a $10 million cost, while the environmental studies from U.S. 71 to Moville are slated for 2008 or 2009.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
At the third U.S. 20 Summit in four years, 80 people at the Sioux City Convention Center heard all the reasons why a four-lane highway would be beneficial, from safety to decreased travel time to opening the area to economic development. They also heard that the project is about $400 million short of the $518 million estimated cost.
You can buy a lot of M&M candies with that. Buck Boekelman of the U.S. 20 Corridor Association frequently brings M&M's to remind Iowa Transportation Commission members that the project connecting Moorland to Moville (M to M) is a big priority. They've come to be expected by Iowa Department of Transportation director Nancy Richardson.
While Richardson said the U.S. 20 project is important to the IDOT, along with projects to improve U.S. 30 in eastern Iowa, and Highways 61 and 63, she acknowledged unless there is more revenue for IDOT, the projects can't advance.
She cited a 2006 report prepared for the Iowa Legislature, which showed that over the next 20 years, as construction costs rise and revenue levels off, IDOT will have a $27 billion shortfall, which amounts to about $1.3 billion a year.
Richardson said Iowa legislators must look at ways to increase DOT revenue, from increasing the gas tax to raising fees for vehicle registrations or driver's licenses. She noted the gasoline tax was increased five times in the 1980s, but not at all since 1989. Each one-cent increase in the gasoline tax would raise $22 million.
Iowa Congressman Tom Latham said the federal government has provided funding to the state highway departments. In the last five-year transportation bill passed in 2005, Latham noted there was an increase of 34 percent over the prior bill, and $21 million was steered to U.S. 20. That broke down to $13 million for work connecting Moorland to Rockwell City and $8 million for planning and environmental work in Woodbury, Ida and Sac counties.
Latham said the failure to complete U.S. 20 -- planning for four-laning the highway goes back to 1952 and "this should have been done yesterday," he said -- "continues to be a matter of priorities of the Iowa DOT." He added, "there is no reason this can't be higher on the priorities" of the department.
Richardson said when the next five-year federal highway funding bill is worked out in 2010, it will come at a time when the national interstate highway system will need attention and other states will be seeking money, just like Iowa.
Richardson said there is "a fair amount of consensus" that Iowa legislators recognize the IDOT funding needs. Richardson said with two weeks left in the 2007 legislative year, there is no bill addressing more revenue for IDOT, although it still could come out of the Ways and Means Committees, she said. "Our concern is getting a bill out, so there can be floor debate on it," Richardson said.
"No legislative body wants to raise a lot of taxes and fees," she said. But without more funding settled this spring, Richardson said the next five-year plan for 2008-2012 projects would become caretaking in nature. "We are going to be saying 'No,' more, and people don't want to hear that," she said.
Ideally, Richardson said, a process would be put in place "so that road fund revenue gets some consideration" annually in the legislature.
The estimated cost to take the Moorland to Moville section from two to four miles has increased from $450 million to $518 million, and it likely will go much higher before completion.
"It isn't all going to get built by 2012, so obviously it is going to be more than $518 million before it is all said and done," Richardson said.
Richardson said she wanted to make sure that the good news of the U.S. 20 project is known. "At least now we have everything in queue for all 91 miles," she said.
This summer there will be a bid letting for grading work from Moorland to Rockwell City, where "we are grading for four (lanes), paving for two," Richardson explained. That 20-mile section should be paved by 2012, she estimated.
Right-of-way acquisition of property for the highway from Iowa Iowa Highway 4 at Rockwell City to U.S. Highway 71 near Early is planned at a $10 million cost, while the environmental studies from U.S. 71 to Moville are slated for 2008 or 2009.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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