U.S. 30 projects moving forward, but future of funding unclear

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By Steven Martens | Sunday, September 21, 2008 3:11 PM CDT | () comments

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CLINTON, Iowa — Edith Pfeffer of Clinton, president of the U.S. 30 Coalition of Iowa, says making U.S. 30 four lanes through Iowa and Illinois is an issue of traffic safety and economic development.

But because fuel tax revenues, an important source of funding for road projects, are projected to decline as higher fuel costs force Americans to use less gasoline, funding for future projects on U.S. 30 and other routes may become harder to come by.

“The economy is really a concern right now for all of us,” Pfeffer said.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has set aside funds in its 2009-13 Iowa Highway Program for the Liberty Square project in Clinton, which will create two one-way, two-lane roads along the U.S. 30/67 route through Clinton. Of the $15.38 million in contracts recently awarded by the City of Clinton for the project with funds from the Iowa DOT, the city will repay about $8 million.

The current highway program also contains about $7.36 million for work on U.S. 30 from the Story County line to State Center and about $245,000 for property acquisition along U.S. 30 from State Center east to Iowa 330, about 7.3 miles. The DOT commission will vote next month on an amendment to the program that will provide an additional $18.2 million for the project between State Center and Iowa 330.

The program also contains about $9.67 million for widening the highway in Story County between Colo and the Marshall County line, and $58.3 million for construction of a bypass at Tama.

In Illinois, an environmental impact study is under way for the proposed widening of U.S. 30 between Fulton and Rock Falls.

Jay Howell, studies and planning engineer for the Illinois DOT’s District 2, said it would likely be 2011 before a decision would be made on a route for the project.

Howell said the state relies on federal transportation funding for projects such as the U.S. 30 expansion, and gasoline tax revenues are an important element of that funding.

As Americans drive less and switch to more fuel-efficient cars to battle rising gasoline prices, those transportation funds may become harder to come by, he said.

“Eventually down the line, they’re going to have to find another way to fund these things,” Howell said.

In Iowa, the DOT was forced to revise its forecast of Primary Road Fund revenues for 2009, which includes fuel tax, road use tax and motor vehicle registration, from $532.5 million to $526.5 million based on projections of lost revenue due to a reduction in gasoline consumption, said John Ranney, director of the office of program management for the Iowa DOT.

Howell said some possibilities include raising the gasoline tax or using GPS technology in vehicles to charge taxes based on miles driven rather than gasoline consumed.

Sen. Roger Stewart, D-Preston, said the flooding that damaged many Iowa roads this spring and summer has made funding for road improvements even more critical.

Stewart said the legislature will be open to new ideas about how to fund transportation projects.

Steven Martens can be contacted at (563) 659-2595 or smartens@qctimes.com.

Upcoming projects on U.S. 30

Iowa

Widening projects from Colo to about 7 miles east of State Center in central Iowa.

Bypass project at Tama in east-central Iowa

Liberty Square project to create one-way couplets in Clinton.

Illinois

Environmental impact study on widening U.S. 30 between Fulton and Rock Falls.