Maintenance bill passes for roads
Maintenance bill passes for roads
By JILL DENNING GACKLE
BHG Inc.
A bill to provide more funding for statewide roads leading to recreational, tourist or historic areas unanimously passed the Senate this past week.
The bill, HB1514, passed the Senate 48-0 April 2 and now awaits the governor’s signature.
Sen. George Nodland (R-Dickinson) told his fellow senators before the vote that the bill provides additional interest money from state highway funds amounts to go into a Special Roads Fund. It should create more than $3 million over the next two years for road improvement projects, he said.
The bill increases the percentage of the Special Roads Fund that can be used for these projects. The fund was established in 1989 with 100 percent of the funds going toward these projects. In 1997, zero percent could be used. In 1999 it was changed to 40 percent, Nodland said.
