Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Transportation Bill Hits Traffic Jam

jphilipg via Flickr Creative Commons

You can add transportation to the long list of issues hitting a roadblock in Washington. Funding for New Hampshire’s I-93 expansion may get stuck in the beltway traffic jam.

Earlier this month, the US Senate passed a $109-billion transportation bill.

The legislation includes funds critical for the completion of the I-93 widening projectin southern New Hampshire.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen says the money will help create 6,000 new jobs in the State’s hard-hit construction industry.

"There is some real urgency to getting this done," says Senator Shaheen, a Democrat.

Despite bipartisan support in the Senate, the measure has stalled in the House, where Republicans are balking at the price tag.

Instead, the House is attempting to push forward a short-term extension of the current bill, which expires this weekend. If a deal can’t be reached, current highway projects could be postponed, and the Federal government stands to lose $110-million per day in gasoline taxes.

The New Hampshire delegation is split. Representative Charlie Bass supportsthe Senate’s version.  

Republican Frank Guinta agrees short-term fixes aren’t the solution. But he prefers that to any other options on the table right now.

Todd started as a news correspondent with NHPR in 2009. He spent nearly a decade in the non-profit world, working with international development agencies and anti-poverty groups. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.