Transportation: On-time and on-budget transportation projects

What does this measure?

Percent of Nickel and Transportation Partnership Act capital projects completed on-time and within budget.

Why is it important?

Funded by legislative gas-tax increases in 2003 (Nickel Package) and 2005 (Transportation Partnership Act), the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is in the process of delivering the largest capital construction program in its history. This measure focuses on WSDOT's delivery of the highway portion of these transportation packages comprising 392 projects in the areas of safety, preservation, and congestion worth an estimated $11 billion.
The size of the highway construction program presents a significant delivery challenge, because the cost of construction material is rising substantially. Between 2004 and 2006, material costs increased more than 50 percent. Though the rate of increase has slowed, material costs still increased 8 percent during 2007.

How is Washington doing?

As of December 2007, WSDOT successfully completed 128 of 392 planned Nickel and Transportation Partnership Act highway projects. Of those, 78 percent were both on time and within budget.

What is state government’s role?

Accommodating the cost increases and continuing to deliver projects on time and within budget poses a huge financial challenge to the state.

Graph & Data Set

For more information…
Contact: Department of Transportation - Gray Notebook