Orrin Hatch: “as a member of the Senate-House team that negotiated the final transportation funding package, I want to commend…”

“as a member of the Senate-House team that negotiated the final transportation funding package, I want to commend Majority Leader Bill Frist for avoiding yet another stalemate and steering this legislation toward final passage. The comprehensive highway measure allocates $286.5 billion over 5 years to support investment in our Nation's highways and transit systems. Miles traveled on Utah's roads has grown twice as fast as its population, but Federal funding has remained flat. Now, Utah can plan for long-term projects, which in the past have been interrupted by numerous temporary extensions. With the passage of the Transportation bill, Utah will receive approximately $1.8 billion to fund its multi-year highway and transit projects. This highway bill will allocate close to $282 million each year to invest in Utah's highways over the next 5 years. This is the most Federal funding ever committed to Utah in a transportation bill and it is long overdue. Utah is the crossroads of the West; every year millions of people visit the Beehive State to enjoy its natural beauty and to invest in its growing economy.…”