Transportation Initiative to Accelerate Roads Projects Unveiled by Governor Ricketts, Chairman Smith

Press Release

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts and Transportation & Telecommunications Committee Chairman Jim Smith unveiled an innovative transportation initiative to accelerate roads construction, repair county bridges, and promote economic growth. At a news conference members of the Transportation Committee as well as business and civic leaders joined Governor Ricketts and Chairman Smith to support the creation of a transportation infrastructure bank.

The creation of a transportation infrastructure bank will be one of the Governor's legislative initiatives for the 2016 legislative session. The infrastructure bank, which will be administered by the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), will help the State of Nebraska accelerate roads construction, provide matching funding to counties to expedite bridge repair, and fund transportation projects that support industry expansion as well as attract businesses to Nebraska.

"The infrastructure bank honors Nebraska's history of prioritizing transportation funding, and continues Nebraska's pay-as-you-go practice for roads," continued Governor Ricketts. "Targeted investments in our transportation system through prioritized spending will help our state continue to grow. Unlike other states that have relied on debt to build roads, Nebraska budgets for our priorities, and I have been pleased to work with Senator Smith and the Transportation Committee on innovative ideas like the infrastructure bank."

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