Federal Transportation Funding for Arkansas to Cease at End of Month

[AHTD]

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department received word Monday that Federal transportation funds for projects in the State will discontinue after May 31st.

See this link for a news release we published yesterday, including a copy of the letter AHTD Director Scott Bennett received from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx:

http://www.arkansashighways.com/news/2015/NR%2015-127.pdf


Also, there is an article in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette further illustrating how many projects under construction may be at risk:

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/may/13/no-congress-deal-road-jobs-halt-state-s

[nexus73]

Where we're going we won't need roads since we as a nation are going over the cliff.  "You should have bought a squirrel!" as the sign said in the movie "Rat Race".  I wish I could add "LOL!" to that statement but I am so saddened by this news.  How can any level of government conduct business when money flows are prone to interruptions caused by political wrangling?  Contracts are not worth the paper they are printed on as this action by the Feds shows.

Rick

[NE2]

Thanks, Obama!

[codyg1985]

It is one thing to not have funding for new projects, but to kill off the money to pay for projects under construction is even worse. That is going to end up costing taxpayers even more due to contractor claims, extended overhead or demobilization/remobilization, and schedule slips. I'm sure every other state DOT is facing the same prospect.

[J N Winkler]

This is just another installation of permanent crisis in transportation funding.  Resolution will probably occur at, oh, 11.58 PM on May 31st, and then we'll bound along to the next stoppage.