Budget writers fund Garwood to Granite Hill
BOISE — State budgeters on Wednesday authorized borrowing up to $79.4 million for the construction costs of rebuilding the 15.8-mile Garwood to Granite Hill stretch of U.S. Highway 95.
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, touted the bonding authority legislation’s impact as a means of making U.S. 95 a safer roadway.
“It’s safety issues,” said Broadsword, referring to the risks of traveling the current U.S. 95. “We have people getting killed there on an annual basis.”
The North Idaho project allocation, this year’s largest project amount, was part of the $162 million in GARVEE bonding authority approved for roads improvement work statewide during state fiscal year 2012, starting July 1.
Authorized on a 17-3 vote of the Idaho Legislature’s joint budget committee, the U.S. 95 road work funding availability is the latest installment in the six-year, $854.6 million Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) federal borrowing program for state road construction costs.
GARVEE is based on the idea of Idaho being paid back later with federal money for state road construction projects.
The legislation approved Wednesday by the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has the backing of Idaho Republican Gov. Butch Otter, according to Wayne Hammon, the governor’s budget boss.
“The governor stands in support of the (Idaho) Board of Transportation’s request,” Hammon said.
The nearly $80 million “Garwood to Granite” segment includes road construction work on “three new interchanges and select frontage roads,” according to a projects description attached to the bill.
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, noted that while the “buildout” for the 15.8-mile Garwood to Granite Hill segment gets borrowing authorization, the 15.7-mile Garwood to Sagle portion is unfunded by the measure.
“I think this is the next step,” for the GARVEE project, said Keough, who, along with Broadsword and Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, voted in favor of the legislation.
According to state numbers, the U.S. 95 “Garwood to Sagle” project in Kootenai and Bonner counties received $35.1 million in funding authorization for on-road construction costs during fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
The total previous bonding authorization for the North Idaho project under the GARVEE program was $78.5 million, including $43.4 million for preliminary engineering, project consulting/management, and right-of-way acquisition costs.
The second-largest GARVEE project approved Wednesday was the $77.9 million bonding authority fiscal year 2012 installment for the “Idaho 16, JCT I-84 to Emmett” project in southwestern Idaho.
Noting that more than $400 million has been spent so far on southwestern Idaho GARVEE projects, Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, favored the latest legislation with grudging words.
“I said early on, GARVEE is like swallowing an egg,” Hagedorn said. “You can’t stop in the middle of it, unfortunately.”