Road Borrowing Low on Walker’s Next Budget

The state faces a $940 million shortfall

Governor Scott Walker says he’ll keep borrowing for road projects low in the next state budget.

The state faces a $940 million shortfall to pay for road projects already approved. Walker has directed his Department of Transportation to deliver a budget that identifies cost savings, prioritizes needs and doesn’t raise taxes and fees, a move that will delay expansion work and upkeep on all but the state’s most-traveled roads.

The agency is due to give its 2017-19 budget request to Walker on Thursday.

The governor issued a news release Tuesday promising to keep transportation borrowing low in the next budget; he did not elaborate.

Walker proposed borrowing $1.3 billion for roads in the 2015-17 budget. Legislators walked that back to $850 million.