Iowa set for big road construction season

Iowa may have one of its busiest years ever for state road construction, the Des Moines Register reported. The state has more money than expected from the federal and state governments and lower-than-expected bids from its contractors.

The state’s construction season also is getting off to an early start, because of the warm, dry winter. Depending on the outcomes of bid lettings through June, the Iowa DOT said it will have let out to bid more than $700 million in primary system construction work during the 2012 fiscal year.

During an average season, Iowa performs about $460 million worth of road work. The record for the state was $600 million set in 2009, when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act poured federal highway money into the state’s coffers.

There was talk of increasing the state gas tax, which would provide road repairs with a more dependable source of increased funding than the current, one-year bump, but the proposal stalled in the state legislature and has failed to receive the backing of Gov. Terry Branstad.

For more information about specific major projects in Iowa this year, click to http://www.news.iowadot.gov.