by T.A. DeFeo
Georgia plans to spend about 40% of the $1.5 billion in additional transportation funding lawmakers approved on increasing the Georgia Department of Transportation’s capital construction program.
In January, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced a plan to include an additional $1.5 billion in the state’s amended fiscal 2024 budget for the Georgia Department of Transportation for projects that “directly help move commuters and freight.”
According to state officials, the additional capital construction funding will, in part, help transportation officials manage increased project costs stemming from inflation.
On Thursday, the governor outlined how state transportation officials would use the additional taxpayer funding. In addition to $593 million for capital construction, the allocation includes $500 million for the state’s freight program, $250 million for local road funding, $98 million for Georgia airports and $50 million for GDOT’s capital maintenance.
“Investing surplus budget funds in existing and future transportation infrastructure is critical to ensure our businesses can expand, goods and services can be transported, and our citizens arrive safely to their destinations,” Republican Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a statement.
The initial fiscal 2024 budget state lawmakers approved included $3.9 billion for the state’s transportation department, including more than $2.2 billion in state money and more than $1.5 billion in federal taxpayer funds. The revised budget includes roughly $5.6 billion for GDOT.
“Over the last few years, we’ve welcomed unprecedented job creation to all regions of the Peach State, and this funding will ensure our already reliable infrastructure network can meet the needs of that incredible growth,” Kemp said in a statement.
Our infrastructure is key to remaining the No. 1 state for opportunity.
With the General Assembly, we’re making an unprecedented investment of $1.5B to ensure our transportation network keeps pace with historic job creation statewide! https://t.co/80wImARkTM pic.twitter.com/efbbO675xg
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) July 18, 2024
More Money, More Transportation
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced new details for the additional $1.5 billion for transportation infrastructure included in the amended fiscal 2024 budget.
| Capital Construction | $593 million | Increasing GDOT’s capital construction program by 58 percent to help manage cost increases due to inflation and expediting projects in GDOT’s existing pipeline of projects; funding will help accelerate 24 projects by a total of 43 years |
|---|---|---|
| Freight Program | $500 million | Funding a new program that includes 18 projects devoted to freight-carrying infrastructure which will improve efficiency, safety and reliability for the transportation of goods across Georgia |
| Local Roads Funding | $250 million | More than doubling state funding for every city and county for local transportation investments |
| Airport Aid | $98 million | Advancing improvements at various general aviation airports |
| Capital Maintenance | $50 million | Increasing GDOT’s capital maintenance budget by 32 percent to resurface state highways around the state |
Project notes provided by the Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp
Table: T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributorSource: Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. KempCreated with Datawrapper
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T.A. DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Brian Kemp” by Governor Brian Kemp. Background Photo “Georgia Interchange” by Georgia Department of Transportation.
