In 2014 the NH House and Senate approved a plan to raise the Road Toll by 4.2 cents per gallon and apply the money raised to the I-93 Expansion, and critical road and bridge projects across the State. The plan is working and the NHDOT is making great progress.
Senate Bill 367 raises approximately $34M per year - Where does the money go?
Most of the money has gone, or will be going directly to:
- Resurfacing projects in 308 locations (totaling more than 1400 miles) during CY 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. $12M/year of SB 367 funding will be dedicated in 2017-2025 to annually resurface approximately 200 miles of the State's poor and very poor roads. A GIS-based Online Viewer (being updated) provides additional information on each project.
- 23 "Red Listed" bridge projects.
- I-93 Expansion Projects 14633B, 14633D, 14633H, and 14633I.
This table lists all of the bridge projects by Town and includes costs and schedule information.
Some of money has gone to pay debt service on the Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan. What is TIFIA?
The following "Flow of Funds" explains this in more detail.
| Municipal Block Grant Aid |
Per RSA 235:5 and Apportinment (RSA 260:23), 12% of the preceding fiscal year revenues go into this program. Approximately $4M per year. |
|---|---|
| TIFIA Debt Service | Interest only ranging from $0.3M to $2.2M from 2016-2025, and principal and interest payments of $23M from 2026-2034. |
| State Aid for Municipal Bridges | $6.8M from 2016 to 2034. |
| TIFIA Pledge Paving and Bridge Repair | Ranging from $15.2M to $22.6M from 2016 to 2025. |
- Budgetary Estimates with the TIFIA Financing - Updated March 9, 2021.
Background Information
Enacted into law in 2014, Senate Bill 367 addressed several important transportation issues. It eliminated certain ramp tolls on the Everett Turnpike; it established a committee to study the effectiveness of the NHDOT; and it raised the road toll (gas tax) by 4.2 cents per gallon to pay for the widening of Interstate I-93 and other critical road and bridge projects across the state. This is the first increase in New Hampshire's state road toll since 1991 and became effective on July 1, 2014. The tax and program will end in 2034.
The Projects
Projects include reconstruction and resurfacing of secondary roadways, bridge repairs on DOT owned bridges, municipal bridges, and Interstate 93. For specific information on the I-93 projects under construction please review the fact sheets for each project: 14633B, 14633D, 14633H, and 14633I.
The Revenue
The program is expected to generate approximately $34M per year in revenue starting in Fiscal Year 2015. Known formally as the “road toll” this increased revenue from motor fuel sales will be dedicated to infrastructure investments.
New revenues will fund
work on red-listed
municipal bridges.
Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA).
In 2016 the NHDOT secured a low interest rate loan (1.09%) from the US Department of Transportation which leverages the SB 367 funds to advance paving and bridge work. A $200M loan under the TIFIA program is being used to fund construction of four I-93 Projects: 14633B, 14633D, 14633H, and 14633I.
The following red-list bridges are anticipated to be funded under the TIFIA Pledged Bridge Program using SB 367 funds.
| City - Town - Bridge | Project # | Year in Construction | Amount | # of Bridges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth - NH Route 113 bridge over the Bear Camp River. | 16239 | FY18 Construction | $2,794,718 | 1 |
| Acworth - NH Route 123A bridge NH 123A over Bowers Brook. | 16301 | FY18 Construction | $1,419,568 | 1 |
| Conway | 15864 | FY19 Construction | $3,122,000 | 1 |
| Ossipee* - NH Route 16 bridges (3) over the Bear Camp & Lovell Rivers. | 14749 | FY18-FY20 Construction | $13,070,000 | 3 |
| Lancaster-Guildhall** - US Route 2 bridge over the Connecticut River. | 16155 | FY19 & FY20 Construction | $3,927,244 | 1 |
| Lebanon-Hartford*** - I-89 Bridge over Connecticut River | 16148 | FY19 Construction | $2,705,600 | 2 |
| Allenstown | 40362 | FY21 Construction | $2,451,000 | 1 |
| Troy | 40370 | FY21 Construction | $4,129,050 | 1 |
| Warner | 15907 | FY21 Construction | $1,897,175 | 1 |
| Shelburne | 40363 | FY22 Construction | $1,877,975 | 1 |
| Pelham | 16145 | FY23 Construction | $1,962,810 | 2 |
| Claremont | 27691 | FY22 & FY23 Construction | $6,890,353 | 1 |
| Deerfield | 24477 | FY22 Construction | $1,201,650 | 1 |
| Swanzey | 27692 | FY22 Construction | $1,717,145 | 1 |
| Warner | 40622 | FY23 Construction | $1,328,467 | 1 |
| Nottingham | 40612 | FY24 Construction | $1,232,059 | 1 |
| Thornton | 40613 | FY24 Construction | $5,078,973 | 1 |
| Woodstock | 27713 | FY24 Construction | $4,267,905 | 1 |
| Littleton-Waterford | 27711 | FY25 Construction | $3,577,146 | 1 |
| New Boston | 27729 | FY25 Construction | $1,517,134 | 1 |
| Marlow | 40088 | FY25 Construction | $1,118,262 | 1 |
* Ossipee construction total based on updated estimated bridge costs.
** Federal FASTLANE grant totaling $5M was received for Lancaster-Guildhall bridge project. As a result SB367 funding needed for the Lancaster-Guildhall project was reduced.
***Lebanon-Hartford Bridge Rehabilitation project was funded with a portion of SB367 funds to leverage federal grant funding totaling $10M.
Legislative History
Gov. Maggie Hassan
signed SB 367 into law
during a ceremony on
May 20, 2014.
Gov. Maggie Hassan signed the bill into law during a ceremony on May 20, 2014.
“Our bipartisan transportation funding bill is the most significant state-level investment in transportation infrastructure in 23 years. This legislation is an important step toward addressing our transportation needs, keeping New Hampshire’s economy moving forward by advancing critical road and bridge projects, finishing the long-overdue expansion of I-93 and improving commutes for our workers and visitors.”
Governor's press release on bill signing.
Governor's statement when the bill was approved by the Legislature.
Full legislation can be found here: Senate Bill 367 Legislation
Road paving projects will
affect regions from the
North Country to southern
New Hampshire.
The following documents were provided to the House Public Works and Highways Committee by the Legislative Budget Assistant’s Office (LBAO) during deliberations:
- Summary of financial analysis for the House Public Works Committee Note: In the final approved version, the cost to remove the Exit 12 ramp tolls on the Everett Turnipke in Merrimack is $0.6 million.
- Detailed analysis for the House Public Works Committee
- Preliminary estimates of Municipal Block Grant aid increases. Increased Block Grant amounts are calculated by the formula identified in RSA 235:23, which is based on a municipality's share of population and local roadway mileage.