by T.A. DeFeo
The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded 16 projects valued at more than $195.4 million in April.
Of the projects awarded, 61% were for reconstruction, while the rest was for bridge construction (32%), resurfacing (5%), safety (2%) and bridge rehabilitation (1%).
“Both of these projects will have a profound impact on their communities when they are completed,” GDOT District Six Preconstruction Engineer David Acree said in a news release announcing two Northwest Georgia road projects totaling more than $50.8 million. “The Department of Transportation works hard to improve the safety and efficiency of state routes for the traveling public.”
A review of previous award announcements shows GDOT officials have announced 221 projects since July 2022, the start of the fiscal year, totaling nearly $1.4 billion.
However, a Consumer Energy Alliance report released last week raises questions about how much money states will have for highway maintenance should Americans transition to electric vehicles. According to the group’s report, the Peach State received more than $1.4 billion in federal highway funding in 2020.
“One of the things that’s not being thought through is what these implications are for our highway maintenance and road maintenance,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura told The Center Square last week during an interview about the report. “You look at your gas and diesel taxes in Georgia … there’s a little over $800 million that comes from gas and diesel tax for road maintenance in the state, and if you transition vehicles from the internal combustion engine to EV, how will you still bridge that gap of maintenance needs?
“From a personal privacy standpoint, you’ve seen states out west talk about tracking the miles driven with a GPS in your car,” Ventura added. “I personally don’t think that that will fly with the majority of Americans when it comes down to their driving habits. We’ve also seen a lot of pushback when states have said because EVs are not paying the traditional gas tax or highway use tax, we’re going to increase their vehicle registration. And we’ve seen significant pushback from people who love EVs saying, ‘No, you can’t increase our vehicle registration.’ So, it’s basically free road use for them.”
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T.A. DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Road Construction” by Jamar Penny.
