Utah’s roads are receiving a $ 1.5 billion state budget surplus.
Governor Spencer Cox has signed a bill to use most of the one-off funds to carry out transportation work. In particular, around $ 1.1 billion will be used on road, transit and other transportation-related projects.
Previously HB433, the new law provides for one-time payments of $ 870 million for transportation work. Instead of being transferred to the state’s general fund, the money will go to the Department of Transportation for the 2022 fiscal year.
Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said the new law mainly focuses on road works.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend the one-time cash than on the infrastructure,” Schultz said in earlier comments.
Most of the money – $ 705 million – will go towards government highway projects, which are stated on the bill. Another $ 28 million will be used for local road works.
Front runner
One-time money of around $ 100 million will be passed on to UDOT for transit projects. Much of the money will go towards a project to double part of the 88-mile FrontRunner mass transit system.
It is planned to double track about 20 miles of the rail system between Ogden and Provo.
The doubling of the track sections of the rail system is intended to help reduce congestion along the Interstate 15 corridor.
The State Transportation Commission is also eligible to borrow up to $ 264 million for transit projects. General bonds are being tapped to get the job going.
In addition to the $ 100 million increase, the FrontRunner project will benefit from $ 200 million in bonds. LL
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