Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed off on a plan to dole out the $1.45 billion in unspent road money that auditors found earlier this year in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s budget.
Under the Department of Transportation’s plan, released Tuesday, the state would spend $200 million on road maintenance and another $524 million on construction projects as part of the state’s six-year transportation plan.
The $200 million in maintenance funding will be spread around the Department of Transportation’s nine district offices, though specific projects haven’t yet been selected for funding, department spokesman Jeff Caldwell said.
“A lot of the decisions will be made into early next year,” he said.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board, whose 17 members are appointed by the governor, will administer or allocate more than $1 billion of available funds found in the audit.
There is no shortage of road projects local officials would like to fund. Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton last month identifying $340 million worth of unfunded projects, including the widening of Interstate 66.
The $1.45 billion in unspent highway funds was uncovered by an audit McDonnell unveiled in September, when he criticized management decisions that led to “money … sitting in the state’s wallet while Virginians have been sitting in traffic.”
“The citizens of Virginia expect better from their state government and we will meet those expectations,” McDonnell said.
The plan unveiled Tuesday addresses more than 50 audit recommendations aimed at providing more accountability for the state’s transportation financing, including monthly financial reports, a strategy for using federal funds throughout the year, and improving project timetables.
