If Idaho continued its current spending level for fixing roads, $100 million per year, 28 percent of its pavement would be deficient in 10 years, ITD chief Brian Ness told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning, up from the current 13 percent. "Our forecast for bridges saw a similar problem," he said. "Today 574 bridges are over 50 years old, one-quarter of those are over 70 years old. In 10 years, we will have 1,000 bridges which are over 50 years old. At our current funding level, it only allows us to replace a bridge every 120 years."

ITD's request for new GARVEE bonding for next year is zero, Ness told lawmakers. But earlier this morning, three lawmakers, Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, and Sens. John McGee, R-Caldwell, and Chuck Winder, R-Meridian, introduced legislation to allow bridges to be funded under existing GARVEE bonding authorization, taking advantage of savings from other projects coming in under budget.