House lawmakers met Tuesday to review a bill that seeks to provide $36 million for road and bridge repair in the state.
There are six highway districts in New Hampshire – but not all are created equal. That was the argument from the Department of Transportation as they argued for a formula change in the way highway repair money is handed out.
William Cass, the department's Assistant Commissioner, says that under the current guidelines, southeastern districts will receive more money than rural northern and western districts. That means more money to areas with better roads, cheaper work costs and milder weather.
"We would be paving roads that were in good condition," argued Cass, "while we were struggling in the Northern tier of the state to pave and take care of roads that were in poor, or very poor condition."
Cass suggested that lawmakers factor road condition into the distribution formula, to help them get more rural roads patched up sooner. Lawmakers will meet to vote on the amendment next week.