Posted on 07/03/2021 5:22:35 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The state of Arkansas embarked on its biggest highway construction program ever undertaken by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the people couldn't be more excited.
"Arkansas is a small state with a population of just three million, but this project touches every corner of the state, with a total of 36 projects in 19 corridors," said Keli Wylie, administrator of the CAP Program and alternative project delivery administrator.
The goals of the Connecting Arkansas Program include improving transportation connections between cities; increasing capacity by widening highways to four or more lanes; improving safety; and easing congestion. Supplementary aims of the program are to support more than 40,000 jobs; drive economic development by making Arkansas locations more desirable to companies to locate and conduct business in; and provide a revenue source for new highway projects.
Innovative Funding Plan
In 2009, the 87th Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 374 to create a Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance. That committee was charged with figuring out a way to finance transportation improvements and to propose highway finance legislation for the 2011 session.
What the committee came up with was a constitutional amendment to levy a temporary sales-and-use tax. The idea received bipartisan approval and was added to the 2012 statewide general election ballot. Arkansas voters approved Ballot Issue No. 1: a constitutional amendment that added a half-cent sales tax for 10 years with proceeds going to improve the state's intermodal transportation system, including projects to widen and improve about 200 mi. of highways and interstates. Taxes are not raised on groceries, medicine or gas. The tax will end after 10 years when the bonds are paid off.
(Excerpt) Read more at constructionequipmentguide.com ...
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