Gov.'s Proposed Cuts Would Impact 84 KDOT Projects

March 05, 2010

By Rebecca Gannon

(HAYSVILLE, Kan.)

Taking $28 million from KDOT's budget means taking money away from road projects.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says it will cut 84 projects if the governor's proposal goes through.

That includes the repairs planned for State Bridge #352. Drivers know it as the bridge on Broadway spanning the Big Ditch.

"Go across it every day," said Jamie Mainzer, "for me to go to work, my wife to go to work."

And he uses his car to do that. "Sometimes, the bridge," he said, "you can hear your car rattling underneath of it."

As much as drivers would be affected by this bridge not being repaired, so would the people who would be doing the repairing - contractors. The Kansas Contractors Association said one out of every four construction workers is currently out of a job in Kansas.

Construction companies like Cornejo and Sons hire contractors when the state hires them to do a job, such as repair a bridge.

But with no state repairs, contractors won't have any work, and the bridge would stay as it is. The funds would go to balance the state's budget.

Some drivers are okay with that, like Melissa Ortiz."Our roads do need to be repaired, but I do see a lot of budget cuts in education."

She continued, "I have a toddler, and eventually when she goes to school, she's going to need her schooling."

Now taxpayers are doing the same thing lawmakers are: looking at how the money spent now will impact us down the road.

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