In Budget Crises, States Reluctantly Halt Road Projects

[groovedaddy]

LOS ANGELES — With cars whizzing behind him along one of Southern California’s most congested and detested freeways, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned Monday that the state was “on a track toward disaster” as it ceases highway, school and bridge construction because of budget and credit woes.

California, which has suspended nearly $4 billion in public works projects, is one of a half dozen states delaying or halting projects because of capsizing budgets, an inability to attract investors to the municipal bonds used to bankroll many projects and a reduction in gasoline tax revenues — which underlie a lot of transportation financing.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has identified 5,000 transportation projects nationwide that lack the dollars to proceed; many of them, like the $730 million project here to add 10 miles of high-occupancy-vehicle lanes to the 405 Freeway — Mr. Schwarzenegger’s backdrop on Monday — have been stopped midstream.

“They just haven’t been able to find the resources,” Tony Dorsey, the spokesman for the association, said of the halted projects.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/us/23works.html?th&emc=th

[dbackjon]

1. We should have worried about our own infrastructure

Not Iraq's

We need Obamaa's plan implemented in the first 30 days.

[XemaSab]

2. This is BOGUS

Both major bridges in Redding are under construction.

And both will apparently continue to be under construction for the forseeable future. x(