November/December 2017

PE Report
West Virginia Voters Approve ‘Roads to Prosperity’ Amendment

The West Virginia Society of Professional Engineers’ infrastructure advocacy was rewarded on October 7, when the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment to finance road and transportation improvement projects.

The Roads to Prosperity Amendment will allow the sale of $1.6 billion in bonds over four years. It was introduced to help increase revenues for the estimated $3.3 billion in planned West Virginia Department of Transportation projects.

The DOT maintains a prioritized list of more than 600 projects in all 55 counties, some of which are underway. Revenue from the sale of the bonds can be used to match available federal funds for highway construction and for general highway and secondary road construction or improvements. The amendment authorizes $800 million in 2017, $400 million in 2018, $200 million in 2019, and $200 million in 2020.

According to the latest data from the US Department of Transportation, 47% of West Virginia roads were in poor or mediocre condition, more than 35% of bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and the estimated cost of vehicle repair due to poor road conditions was $273 per motorist.

Amendment supporters feared a rejection of the ballot measure would have forced the reprioritization, delay, or even cancellation of programs such as the $100 million program for state local service roads.

Transportation Secretary Tom Smith, P.E., characterized the vote as a show of confidence in his agency. “By doing so, it allows the West Virginia Department of Transportation to move forward in playing a major role in West Virginia’s economic recovery. With the new revenues passed by the legislature this most recent session, we can make meaningful improvements to the state’s transportation infrastructure,” he stated. “We recognize our responsibility and are committed to putting out this momentous program in an open, honest, and transparent manner.”