State transportation officials say they’re freeing up money for highway improvement projects that are ready to go by redirecting funding earmarked for other projects that don’t need it immediately. ADOT says changes that include better tracking of inactive projects have reduced the amount of money set aside for projects deemed to be inactive to just over $50 million, down from a peak of $160 million. The department says reasons for projects becoming inactive include requesting funding too far in advance, a local agency not invoicing ADOT in a timely manner and lack of word that a project or project phase is complete. According to ADOT, the changes it’s making include tracking inactive projects weekly and examining each project phase rather than the whole project.
