Illinois' reliance on rapidly diminishing federal funding to repair the state's aging roads and bridges means that motorists waste hours stuck on congested roads and spend more on car repairs.
How to fill the gap is another vexing problem for new Gov. Bruce Rauner. The Republican has signaled a readiness to consider all options, including raising the state's fuel tax, which hasn't been touched in 25 years.
But while experts consider that the most obvious and immediate solution, they also say it may be the hardest to achieve because it's been politically toxic.
Illinois typically ranks among the top three or four states for numbers of bridges and total miles of roadway. But keeping up with repairs has left little money for expansion.
Meanwhile, money flowing into Illinois from the federal Highway Trust Fund is diminishing.
Solution elusive to Illinois' highway funding gap
