WYDOT prepares for cuts to airport and highway funding

The Wyoming Department of Transportation would lose money for airports, under the governor’s proposed eight-percent budget cuts.

WYDOT Budget Officer Kevin Hibbard says they would have to cut funding for airport improvements and airline service.

“There would probably be a reduction in some commercial air service in local Wyoming communities,” Hibbard said. “And also I think that a backlog of projects would take place for the airport improvements.”

Hibbard says WYDOT will also have to shift money from other budgets in order to make up for fewer dollars they will have to spend on highway improvements. 

“One example would be we would not replace the same amount of equipment that we intended to replace, so we’d be required to use our equipment longer,” he said. “Some of the building repairs and modifications will just have to wait a little bit longer before we address those. We’re just making the hard decisions to make sure that we do our best to keep the amount of money that’s going to the highways the same.”