With another surface-transportation extension likely this month, construction officials continue to push for a longer-lasting measure to end the dribs-and-drabs funding they have endured for several years. They welcome the six-year, $277-billion highway bill that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee cleared unanimously on June 24. But they are acutely aware that the Highway Trust Fund is about $90 billion short of the money to fund the bill fully. Where to find the dollars remains a mystery.
As they look at the panel's Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE), construction officials like the six-year span and appreciate its 3% average annual increase over current funding.