Eyeing economic impacts from COVID-19, Kansas legislators passed a sweeping $9.7-billion transportation funding program with new safeguards to keep funds for project use only, while Kentucky is progressing on a $4.7-billion package.

堪萨斯立法机构批准了该计划，该计划将在未来十年内州际提供资金，桥梁，铁路和机场项目，以加强国家经济。新利18备用网址

Enacted with strong bipartisan support at the close of a session abbreviated by the pandemic, the measure is viewed by many legislators as a potential safeguard against looming economic uncertainty.

“It shows that the state was ready for transportation plan,” observes Michael White, executive director of the Kansas Contractors Association. “Legislators are hopeful that this will serve as a stimulus that can help stave off a potentially worse recession.”

Crafted as a compromise between separate bills passed in each chamber, the legislation prioritizes existing infrastructure maintenance and completing 16 expansion and modernization projects identified under the Kansas Dept. of Transportation’s T-Works program enacted in 2010. Contracts for the approximately $438 million worth of remaining T-Works projects are to be let by 2023.

但多年来，多年来，近三分之一的资金被重定向，以弥补国家预算的重复的非交通不足。

The new legislation seeks to avoid similar budget raids in the future by mandating that existing sales tax revenue allocations for transportation be spent specifically for that purpose. In addition, KDOT can gradually expand use of alternative project delivery, eventually allowing up to 5% of qualified eligible for methods such as design-build.

The agency will also identify new major projects for funding every two years, a change from the previous practice of 10-year operation plans.

“That provides the agency with greater flexibility to keep up with needs around the state,” White says.

Although Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is expected to sign the bill, the legislature is scheduled to reconvene in late April to adjust a newly passed $19.8 billion state budget and complete unfinished legislative business.

白色认为，在国家的Covid-19传播中缺乏重大变化，交通立法不太可能改变。

Bridgette Williams，大堪萨斯城沉重构造师协会执行董事，注意到KDOT和其他机构之间的情绪是保持当前的建筑活动，尽管适当的协议限制病毒暴露。

“They understand that shutting down construction would shut down the economy,” she says, adding that seeing construction continue could provide a moral boost to communities uncertain about the impacts of COVID-19. In the weeks and months to come, Williams, construction will be a major step “in coming out of whatever it is we’ll have to deal with.”

在肯塔基州，两年的国家运输支出措施已经清除了州代表的国家院位，现在正在审议州参议院。

除了在单独通过的国家道路计划中提供数百个项目外，该法案每年分配8000新利18备用网址万美元，以弥补维修和更换，安装800万美元。航空预算，铁路交叉和Riverport项目也会看到增加。新利18备用网址