Forum: Infrastructure Investment in Idaho

Idaho ended 2021 with a record $900M in budget surplus and is poised for another $1.4B by the end of 2022’s budget cycle, with a portion that will be dedicated to infrastructure improvements statewide. In addition Idaho will receive an estimated $3B that covers all infrastructure sectors with formula-based distributions, thanks to the November 2021 passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The funding comes at a critical time for our state - while we have seen unprecedented growth, Idaho’s infrastructure has not kept pace. In fact, Idaho scored a C- in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Report Card for infrastructure.

Areas of infrastructure investment in Idaho include:

• Repairing and rebuilding our roads and bridges (In Idaho there are 286 bridges and over 1,102 miles of highway in poor condition.)

• Improving infrastructure of Idaho’s airports

• Greater broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the…