Posted on 11/04/2016 6:43:53 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Because the Tollway relies on user fees only for its operations, this summer's near-shutdown of $2 billion in Illinois Department of Transportation projects had little impact on its maintenance or capital agenda. State lawmakers had reached a stalemate in budget negotiations but passed a stopgap bill to ensure road and highway construction continued.
The news wasn't so good for New Jersey this summer when Gov. Chris Christie shut down all non-essential state transportation projects after he and legislators could not come to an agreement on how to counterbalance the new 23-cent gas tax increase. Christie's order shelved approximately $3.5 billion of projects and sent workers home during the busiest time of year — when many transportation workers earn the money that will get them through the idle winter months.
After stops and starts in negotiations, Christie and state Democrats finally came to an agreement in early October on taxpayer benefits that ended the shutdown. What the fallout will be, however, is still an unknown. Aside from the impact on construction workers, the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association said the cost of remobilization could result in an extra $24 million in costs to the state.
Several states across the U.S. are struggling with ways to fund necessary infrastructure repairs and upgrades. In a May report, the American Society of Civil Engineers found that the U.S. will give up 2.5 million jobs and $4 trillion in gross domestic product over the next 10 years if it can’t figure out how to make up a $1.44 trillion infrastructure funding shortfall. According to the ASCE, the U.S. has only come up with $1.88 trillion of the $3.32 trillion needed. Without full funding, the organization predicted that the infrastructure shortfall will increase to $5.18 trillion by 2040.
Another HUGE Democrat slush fund....
They’ve been doing this same construction for over TEN years now!
What a taxpayer scam!
Hate to see this, I go through Chicago twice a year, and use I-294 tollway to avoid going through the downtown / south side of Chicago area.
About three months ago, I read, on a Chicago TV station website, that, in 1970, some state legislators said, “Starting in 1974, we’ll take away the toll booths, and anyone can drive on the tollways for free.”
We were told the same thing about the Ohio Turnpike.
They’re still paying tolls.
They just finished a 10 year long “reconstruction” of I-294 in 2014.....
It says a lot when there was shock and amazement when Georgia took down the toll booths on Ga 400 as promised.
That is a fact!
In 1953, when the Illinois General Assembly created the Illinois State Toll Highway Commission, it was to borrow money to build highways. The tolls were intended to pay off those bonds. Then the roads were to become freeways, maintained by the gas tax.
http://abc7chicago.com/archive/8327185/
A sad fact is that I live in Illinois.
$56.5 million to continue planning and design for reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
Looks like from the 2017 Tentative Budget Book page 119 they intend to rebuild 20 miles. Details can be found on page 123:
Master plan development for roadway reconstruction from 95th Street to Balmoral Avenue is anticipated to be complete in early 2017, with continued design services for reconstruction of the Mile Long Bridge over the Des Plaines River and the BNSF Railroad Bridge over I-294. In advance of construction planned for 2020, right-of-way acquisition of $6.8 million is anticipated to start in 2017 along with $9.0 million in utility relocations.
Ugggghhh....
They re did the mile long bridge I think around 1997 or so You would think they would last more than 20 years.....
Yep, true story.....I too am an escapee from the Land of Lincoln. In the late ‘50’s, that is what they used to sell the idea of “the tollway”......after the bonds were retired and the highway was paid for, the toll booths supposedly would come down and the road would be “free” and maintained by the highway tax or gas tax......yuck, yuck, yuck.....
bkmk
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