The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently submitted its 2018 State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) to the state legislature for approval.
The SHOPP program funds some highway operational improvements as well as the repair and preservation of the state highway system, emergency repairs, and safety improvements.
The four-year program contains nearly 1,000 projects worth $18 billion and covers fiscal years 2018-2019 through 2021-2022. With the passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2017, the program has more than $7 billion in funding than it did in 2016.
The bill created the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account and provides an approximately $1.8 billion annual funding increase to ongoing highway system projects.
“In prior years, we had to postpone projects due to lack of funds but now we are accelerating those projects that are improving our roads, bridges, drainage systems and reducing congestion,” Caltrans Director Laurie Berman said. “We have a long list of projects and road work that needs to get done, and SB 1 funds allow us to get it done benefiting communities across the state.”
Before the passage of the bill, the California Transportation Commission was forced to delay or cut $1.5 billion in already planned projects from the 2016 State Transportation Improvement Program.