The state Senate's approach to building and maintaining roads and bridges across the Commonwealth is moving forward. The Senate adopted the six-year road plan Wednesday. Committee Chair Ernie Harris says the $5.4 billion dollar transportation program contains no tax increases.
"As those projects have been moving along, we are entering the most expensive phase, because we're entering the construction phase for many of those projects, so that's why we had to be very careful when we developed this plan to make sure it was balanced so the projects that are in the plan can continue to move," said Harris.
Included is funding for the Louisville bridges project, expansion of the mountain parkway and widening Interstate 65. Hazard Senator Brandon Smith called it a "responsible approach for transportation."
"I can put bridges in there that are never gonna be built. It used to be the running joke for those of us in the mountains that we'd have a 20 year project in the six year road plan," said Smith "But, I will tell you that you didn't do that, that the stuff on here is real.".
Members of the Senate and House will sit down over the next few days to work to iron out a compromise road plan.