North Carolina Faces $65 Billion Transportation Deficit

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orth Carolina is $65 billion short of the $122 billion it will need to fund transportation initiatives and road repairs over the next 25 years, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Lyndo Tippett, the state’s secretary of transportation, said a flat hike in fuel taxes to provide funds is unlikely and voiced interest in a system that uses global positioning technology to calculate the fuel tax a driver must pay based on miles driven, AP said.

Heavy trucks could face higher fees under such a system because of the greater stresses they place on roadways, AP reported, citing Tippett.

North Carolina estimated two years ago that its transportation short fall would total $29 billion but raised the estimate in the face of higher materials costs, AP said.