Idaho State Capitol – On Wednesday, a bill to create a fund for bridge maintenance and replacement passed the house floor. It previously passed the house 52-18. The bill allocates money to the transportation expansion and congestion mitigation program and establishes the bridge maintenance and replacement program fund. The goal of this legislation is to repair dilapidated bridges across the state. The amended legislation must be approved by the House before being sent to the Governor’s office.
“Communities across the state lack the resources to repair old, unsafe bridges. Our rural communities, in particular, do not receive enough financial support to update roads and bridgeways.” Senator David Nelson/(D-Moscow) explained. “The safety of Idaho drivers and their families along with our farmers and loggers to get products to market is dependent on bridges being updated and repaired before they become a hazard.”
“I worked with my colleagues across the aisle to make amendments to the legislation to make sure it would benefit the safety of all Idahoans. This is a great first step in improving infrastructure throughout the state. This legislation is an investment our local partners can use to ensure our bridges are safer and we can get crops to market. Repairs to these bridges are essential to the safety of Idaho drivers and I support any measure that addresses the growing concerns of many of our constituents about the dangers of the roads they drive every day.”