States to Shrink Infrastructure Portfolios Without Long-term Federal Backing, ARTBA Says

The lack of a long-term funding structure at the federal level will likely prompt state officials to scale back on large-scale infrastructure projects, the chief economist of a group representing road builders said Aug. 10.

“Absent some sort of action by Congress to address this recurring revenue issue, we could see states start to pull back as early as 2019,” Alison Premo Black, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s chief economist, said. 

“Without sustained increase in federal funding, we’re really turning to a situation of states where it is uneven growth across markets,” she added.

Black, addressing the association’s members during a webinar that examined midyear transportation construction conditions, stressed the need for a sustainable funding structure that helps state officials realize big-scale projects.

ARTBA is among the national groups urging transportation leaders on Capitol Hill to advance long-term measures aimed at guaranteeing states receive federal backing for highway projects for years to come. Most transportation stakeholders support a federal increase in fuel taxes. Congressional funding leaders, however, have opposed raising such taxes to pay for highway programs.

The FAST Act five-year highway law enacted in December authorizes funding for highway projects through 2020. Congressional leaders say they intend to examine ways to provide long-term financial backing for infrastructure projects before the FAST Act expires.