As North Carolina's population increases, officials say the infrastructure will need some work. See what they've got planned.
RALEIGH -- As North Carolina's population increases, officials say the infrastructure will need some work.
"Our population is going to continue to grow, the number of vehicles on our highways will continue to grow, the number of vehicle miles traveled will continue to grow and the cost of building transportation infrastructure will continue to increase," said Brad Wilson, the 21st Century Transportation Committee chairman in regards to the infrastructure issue.
As it stands, the population increase will have an infrastructure price tag of about $64 billion. The 21st Century Transportation Finance sub-Committee has come up with short-term ideas to handle the growth.
They want to stop the transfer of $172 million from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund. That money would help get the ball rolling for toll roads to be built in North Carolina, the first of which would be constructed in the Triangle.
The Committee is also recommending funding for a new Interstate 85/Yadkin River Bridge.
The 21st Century Transportation Finance sub-Committee has come up with short-term ideas to handle the growth.
"It's built on the issuance of a transportation bond: $1.6 billion. And should the General Assembly conclude that the state can afford that, then the other component parts are built on the availability of that bond revenue," added Wilson.
But not everyone is for the plan.
"The priorities need to be changed and then let's access exactly what is required and until we do that it's kind of like throwing good money after bad," said North Carolina Policy Analyst Stephen Jackson.
The committee says there are many more long-term transportation funding problems, but it says it wants to take small steps first.
The full committee will vote on the recommendations of the subcommittee on the first day of the legislative short session which is May 13.
At that point, it's up to the full General Assembly whether or not it wants to move forward with the ideas.