State Sen. Rick Bertrand of Sioux City wants the state to dip into its surplus, and spend $90 million a year for four years to four-lane US 20 between Moville and Early.
Gov. Branstad is “supportive” of finishing 20, but at the same time he won’t throw his weight behind either support of that specific proposal or raising the gas tax.
So how, then, is this significant construction project supposed to happen?
Between 2003 and 2008 the cost of asphalt doubled and the cost of steel tripled — and the gas tax has stayed a flat rate, regardless of the simultaneous doubling of gas prices. The West Virginia DOT has a 10-year listing of asphalt and cement prices for its project lettings, which offers a bigger picture. Cement has stayed somewhat steady, which is a positive because most new roadways in Iowa start as concrete.
Without one of two things happening — raising the gas tax or dipping into the surplus — it’s hard to see how US 20 is finished as four lanes across the state in any sort of decent time frame.