The gas tax increase in the new state budget went up 18 cents per gallon. But, there is so much deferred maintenance on Tri County roads Peoria County Engineer Amy McLaren says the tax would have to go up dollars per gallon to catch up.
“We have a backlog of approximately 200 million dollars including reconstruction of over into the airport as well as we have some County roads within the City of Peoria,” says McLaren.
McLaren says she is grateful Peoria County will at least be able to make a dent in some of the backlog.
Tazewell County Highway Engineer Craig Fink says the Tri County area will receive an extra 22 million dollars a year for road maintenance. He says there are other benefits as well.
“You’ve got projects that legislators have determined were of primary importance in their area, a lot of times that’s through bonding. And you have an additional amount that will make it to locals. I’m not exactly sure how it will make it there. I don’t know whether it will go through a formula or if it is helping with some of these prioritized projects,” says Fink.
Fink also says there will be money in the capital bill for specific projects and some capital bill money flowing to counties a well.
