Legislators and local leaders are at odds over how to best address the state's infrastructure needs over the next several years.
There's been lots of talk about the condition of Indiana's roads -- with Gov. Mike Pence and the Indiana Department of Transportation touting an increase in the quality of pavement and bridges.
Meanwhile, Democrats have launched a 'Fix Our Roads' social media campaign asking people to share pictures of the state's crumbling infrastructure.
Amid all the controversy, Pence this week announced his plan for improving roads and bridges.
Pence's Proposal
Pence is calling for a four-year, $1 billion plan that would focus on improving existing infrastructure throughout the state.
He wants to fund it using a combination of reserves, new and refinanced bonds and future state budgets.
At his announcement earlier this week, Pence stressed that the number of roads and bridges in fair or better condition has increased over the past three years. But he says the state should take advantage of its fiscal strength and invest more in infrastructure.
"Ultimately the funding that I've outlined when included with base funding would put INDOT on a path to resurface 16,000 miles of state highways and repair more than 5,200 bridges," Pence said during his announcement.
Pence says he did speak with several of the state's legislative leaders when developing his plan. Legislators would have to approve much of the money Pence wants to pour into the proposal.
Will It Happen?
This issue isn't split along party lines. Many legislators have questions about some of the funding mechanisms Pence wants to use. Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville; Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville; and Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, are all concerned about refinancing bonds for the project.
Others point out the plan doesn't allocate any funding to local roads, which make up about two-thirds of Indiana's pavement. Many communities are strapped for cash and can't afford upgrades with their existing budgets.
"It takes a billion dollars a year to just maintain the bare minimum to maintain our infrastructure system in Indiana," Zody says. "The governor's proposing a billion dollars over four years. That's just not enough."
The Roads and Transportation Study Committee met Thursday to discuss INDOT funding and they didn't come away with any concrete conclusions. They did agree the state needs more money for roads, but it's unclear how much and how to fund the needs.
INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson says it will take another $250 million for the state to properly maintain its roads. But, there were questions about that figure because INDOT previously told legislators they needed $300 million. But she defended the condition of the state's roads.
"We are not in a crisis mode related to our infrastructure," she says. "Our bridges are sound, our pavement is sound."
Hendrickson also briefly spoke about the state's investigation into faulty asphalt it discovered was used to pave some of its roads. She says they're still looking into $71 million worth of projects to determine the scope of the issue. INDOT says there aren't any problems with its specs for testing the pavement.
