The state has indefinitely postponed hundreds of transportation projects worth around $4.3 billion.
Gov. Dannel Malloy and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker today released a full list of projects that are postponed until new revenue is appropriated for the Special Transportation Fund, which finances the state’s transportation system, including the operating costs of the CTDOT and all of the services it provides.
Projects that are postponed indefinitely include improvements to the Interstate 91/Route 15 interchange on the Charter Oak Bridge, the replacement of the Waterbury Mixmaster, and the widening of Interstate 95 from Bridgeport to Stamford.
[[468644343,C]]
A statement from the governor’s office says even routine highway maintenance and transportation aid to cities and towns are seriously jeopardized.
“If Connecticut does not take the necessary action to allow us to restart these vital projects, not only will it put the state’s infrastructure into a further state of disrepair, it will hurt our economy,” Malloy said in a statement. “If we want to compete in the 21st century economy, we need a transportation system that works for people and businesses, and we need to invest in transit-oriented development to build the communities where people and businesses want to be. I want to be very clear – this is preventable, but it requires immediate action. The legislature must act this year to avoid potentially devastating setbacks to our transportation system.”
“Gov. Malloy then authorized a transportation spending plan he knew couldn’t be supported by the fund. His plan spent more than the STF had with no way to pay for it, purposefully plunging the special transportation fund further into deficit,” Senate Republican President Pro Tem Len Fasano said.
Local
“Now, Gov. Malloy and Democrats are trying to use the problem they created to force the legislature to approve new taxes and more burdens on commuters. That has been their game plan all along,” Fasano added.
The governor will be releasing his recommendations to ensure the solvency of the STF in advance of the 2018 legislative session.
