Impacts of cuts to the Department of Transportation likely won’t be noticed in projects this year.
As we previously reported, in Governor Bill Walker’s proposed operating budget the DOT saw the largest fiscal cuts(not percentage), due to its massive annual budget.
We spoke with DOT spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy about this summer’s construction projects…
Mccarthy: “I think the good news for the economy is that many of these projects are federally funded. So they won’t be affected, or likely won’t be affected by state budget crunches so that’s the good news. And then also when we have state projects that are getting ready to bid now, that’s actually money that’s already been allocated so that should remain on track.”
She said that if those proposed cuts are carried out the public would see impacts to state funded projects in the summer of 2016.
One of the larger projects for the Kenai Peninsula is a 15 mile resurface of the Sterling Highway, beginning at the Ninilchik River Bridge.
