ForConstructionPros.com

According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), incoming chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees - Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) - plan to wrap-up all outstanding funding bills for FY 2007 into one measure.

This move creates significant uncertainty for federal highway and transit investment as the transportation funding bill is one of the nine measures Congress did not enact in 2006. The programs are currently funded through February 15 at their FY 2006 levels. The Obey-Byrd plan indicates "limited adjustments" may be made, but does not identify which programs' funding could be modified.

As such, the funding increases guaranteed by the 2005 surface transportation program reauthorization law, SAFETEA-LU, $3.4 billion for highways and $474 million for transit, are in jeopardy.

ARTBA is working with key transportation congressional members and stakeholder groups to ensure the FY 2007 SAFETEA-LU-guaranteed funding levels are included in that measure. ARTBA has also distributed to congressional offices state-by-state charts detailing how much each state has to lose in terms of jobs and highway funds if the SAFETEA-LU guaranteed funding level is not met.

For more information, visit www.artba.org.