When it comes to roads, Tennesseans have had a fortunate run. Our governors, past and present, Republican and Democrat, have all recognized the value of investing in our roads. They understood that building, enhancing and maintaining a first-class roadway system was one of the keys to making Tennessee competitive for industry and jobs that could improve our quality of life.
Over the years, Tennessee has committed billions of dollars to a first-class roadway system, and today our system is a big driver in our economic development success. A pay-as-you-go approach makes Tennessee one of only five states with no highway debt.
Tennessee is now at major risk of losing our competitive edge. Our road system risks falling into disrepair due to a lack of sustainable funding. Gov. Bill Haslam sees this threat, and has embarked on a statewide tour to encourage support for a financial solution to preserve and maintain the road system we have worked so long and so hard to build.
A bit of history may be in order. Our impending infrastructure crisis did not start in Tennessee but in Washington, D.C. Since the advent of our national interstate system, inspired by President Eisenhower with legislation sponsored by then-Tennessee U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr., bipartisan action in Congress has supported our system of interconnected national highways.
In Tennessee, our fuel tax has not increased since 1989. The federal gas tax is now at 18.4 cents and has not been increased since 1993. If the federal gas tax were to be adjusted for the 60 percent cumulative inflation since 1993 it would place it at roughly 30 cents. Rather than making wise investments, the nation has been kicking the can down the road. Congress has now passed 34 stop-gap funding measures instead of the long-term bills that once were routine and helped state DOTs plan their construction and maintenance programs. Now Congress has kicked the can three more months down the road.
In the meantime, our infrastructure everywhere continues to deteriorate. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave our nation's highway infrastructure a D- grade. Because we've understood the importance of healthy infrastructure in Tennessee, we've fared better, B- , but that grade won't last. Last year, TDOT had to push back almost $400 million in planned projects because of the instability of federal funding. Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer continues to meet the challenge of doing more with less and has said that in Tennessee, "We're moving quickly into a highway-maintain-only situation."
Today our country sits at the proverbial crossroads. Continued inaction must not be the chosen option. Leaders must lead, even on the matter of raising revenue through higher taxes. The scenic highways and byways of Tennessee, which we recognize as roadways for economic prosperity, are at stake. And Nashville is a critical transportation hub for the Piedmont Atlantic Mega-Region, making all of Tennessee part of the fastest growing mega-region in the United States. We must take action now.
I trust our legislature, and the people around our state, will support Gov. Haslam's efforts to continue investment in our roads. Our economy depends on it and our motorists deserve it. This is not a problem we should leave for future generations. We need a long-term solution, and we need it today, not after our highway system has deteriorated to where it has a D- rating and costs to fix it have only continued to rise.
Butch Eley is president of HDR|ICA, which provides infrastructure project planning, design, operations and long-term maintenance services.