OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.WWW.COLORADO.GOV/GOVERNOR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMONDAY, NOV. 2, 2009 CONTACTSMegan Castle, 303.319.8513, megan.castle@state.co.usStacey Stegman, 303.757.9362, stacey.stegman@dot.state.co.us GOV. RITTER’S FY10-11 TRANSPORTATION BUDGET UP 6%Gov. Bill Ritter today submitted a $1.03 billion Fiscal Year 2010-11transportation budget proposal to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, a 6percent increase from this year’s $973.5 million. Colorado’s new FASTER law is fueling the much-needed increase, generating anestimated $160.6 million for the state’s FY10-11 budget for bridge and roadwayrepair and safety work. An additional $61.1 million will go directly to localagencies from FASTER. Sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs and Rep. Joe Rice, FASTER(Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) also willsave and create thousands of jobs statewide. “As we all know, federal and state transportation revenue has been declining foryears, while at the same time transportation demands and construction costs havebeen increasing,” Gov. Ritter said. “Our system of bridges, highways and roadwaysis rapidly deteriorating and becoming a greater and greater safety concern. “But we lack sufficient revenue to maintain the system we’ve got. And we certainlydon’t have anywhere near enough to create the modern, 21st century system we needbecause Colorado has not established secure, reliable or sustainable new fundingfor transportation in almost two decades.“Thanks to FASTER, we’re going to stop the rapid deterioration of ourtransportation system and create a framework that leads to a modern transportationsystem that’s good for our communities, our economy and our citizens. This isfirst and foremost about public safety – about moving Colorado forward andensuring our bridges and roads are safe for the people who live, work and travelin Colorado.”
About half of Colorado’s roadways and 128 bridges are in poor condition. About 115bridges are 75 years old or older. “Through FASTER, we are creating jobs, keeping our roads and bridges safe, andproviding a dedicated stream of funding for transportation, which we haven’t beenable to do in recent years – until now,” Senate President Brandon Shaffer said.“FASTER couldn’t have come at a better time.” “After decades of inaction, today we have action,” House Speaker Terrance Carrollsaid. “FASTER means shovels in the ground and an economic shot in the arm. Thepeople of Colorado want us to make the tough decisions that lead to more jobs, abalanced budget and a strong economy. We’re doing just that.” “When Colorado taxpayers own 128 structurally deficient bridges in poor condition,when half of Colorado’s public roads are in poor condition and when 20 percent ofColorado’s public roads require complete reconstruction, the Governor and GeneralAssembly had little choice but to act to preserve safety,” said Tony Milo,executive director of the Colorado Contractors Association. Work is scheduled to begin this spring on the first FASTER bridges. Here is a listof candidate bridges: BridgeRegionCountyFacility Carried over Feature IntersectedEstimated Project Cost *F-14-B1Clear CreekI-70 Frontage Road over Clear Crk3,095,000G-12-L1ParkSH 9 ML over Buckskin Gulch280,000N-16-L2HuerfanoSH 69 over Turkey Crk3,000,000
L-22-F2CrowleySH 96 over Black Draw750,000K-23-C2KiowaSH 96 over Draw1,500,000K-23-B2KiowaSH 96 over Draw1,500,000K-24-A2KiowaSH 96 over Draw1,500,000K-18-CL2PuebloI-25 SB over RR, Ilex, Bennet St1,000,000K-18-CK2PuebloI-25 NB over RR, Ilex, Bennet St1,000,000I-17-AE2El PasoUS 24 EB over Fountain Crk1,200,000I-15-Y2TellerUS 24 over Twin Crk1,200,000H-16-K2TellerSH 67 over Draw800,000G-11-F3LakeUS 24 over UP RR
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