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Show Utah Highway Expenditures in 1951 Highest in Entire History oi State Highway expenditures by the i Utah State Road Commission for fiscal 1951 amounted to almost $118 million, which was more than fur any previous year in Utah's history. The 1951 outlay was $2.-1 million higher than that for 1950, and 2.5 million over that for 19-19. These facts are pointed out in a research report on Utah's highway programs released re-leased today by Utah Foundation, Founda-tion, the non-profit tax research agency. The report notes that increased in-creased construction expenditures which totaled $9.5 million fur fiscal 1951, accounted for nearly all of the increase over each of the previous two years, while outlay for repairing and maintaining main-taining present roads declined to $2.f million for fiscal 1951 $700,000 lower than in 1950, and almost $1.1 million under fiscal 1919. While highway construction outlay has increased considerably considerab-ly - about 4 times since 1910 and 2 1 a times since 1917, part of this increase has been offset by the rapid increase in construction costs. The Bureau of Public Roads composite mile cost index, based on 1925-29 as 100, has in-creased in-creased from 71. G in 19-10, to 145.7 in 1950, and 161.8 for the second quarter of 1951. This means that if a highway construction con-struction project cost $716,000 in 1950, the same project would i cost about $1,457,000 in 1950, and! $1,61 S.000 in the middle of 1951.! Present Utah highw ay construe- I lion programs, according to the' Utah Foundation report, include! $3,3SS,000 for S9.7 miles of pro-1 jects under construction, $3,198,-! 500 for 50.2 miles of projects ad-1 verlised for bids as of Dec. 1,1 1951. and $3,071,00 for 81.1 miles1 of construction projects in the I process of preparation for possi- j bio construction in the immedi- I ate future. Construction on major; state highways at the present tiuio includes: $695,230 on US 91. $118,171 on US 6-50 southeast to Colorado, $176,653 on US 30 north to Idaho, $80,597 on US 10-50 west to Nevada, and $36,056 on US 1S9 before it joins US 30s into Wyoming. A tentative construction program pro-gram for fiscal 1953 has been drawn up by the State Road Commission. Com-mission. As outlined by Utah Foundation, this program would include construction expenditures expendi-tures amounting to $11,050,000, including $3 million on Federal-aid Federal-aid Primary highways., 2.3 million mil-lion on Federal-aid Secondary roads, $2.5 million on Federal-aid urban streets, and $3.5 million in state funds for non-federal aid projects on state highways. Analyzing a recent study of highway construction needs made by the Division of Highway High-way planning, Utah Foundation notes that total needs for construction con-struction alone are placed at $216,665,000. The Foundation also al-so cites a Legislative Council study released in November, 1950, which shows in addition to the construction needs estimated by the Division of Highway Planning, Plan-ning, estimated maintenance and departmental operating expenses, for a total program of $298,200,-000, $298,200,-000, or nearly $19.9 million per year for 15 years. The construction construc-tion program alone would require re-quire about $13.8 million per year for 15 years. Utah Foundation 'points out that any future construction con-struction program above $7.5 or 8 million per year will likely I have to be financed entirely from state funds, noting that Utah has in the past taken full advantage advan-tage of Federal-aid funds, and that increases in Federal-aid are apparently not in prospect. An important factor to be considered con-sidered in a present highway development de-velopment program for Utah is the availability or lack of steel for highway purposes. According to the Utah Foundation report, highway officials Indicate thai at the present time a shortage ol steel is seriously curtaining the Utah highway program. Although all available funds can be spent on needed highway improvements, improve-ments, some high priority projects pro-jects are having to be deferred for lack of steel. State highway revenues, derived de-rived from motor and special fuel taxes, Federal Grants-in-aid, and since July 1, 1951, a portion of motor vehicle registration fees, are reported bv Utah Foundation to be $14.6 million in fiscal 1951, compared with $11.6 million for 1950, and $10.9 million in fiscal 19-19. It is estimated by Utah Foundation that net highway revenues for fiscal 1952 will amount to about $16,012,000. If beginning balances in highway funds are considered, total available avail-able highway funds are estimated estimat-ed at $16,928,000. |
