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www.rockproducts.com ROCK products • May 2015 • 9 Department of Transportation (WSDOT) faces a $1.8 billion backlog in funds need- ed for pavement preservation. Because of the lack of funding, the share of state-maintained roads in need of resurfacing or reconstruction is pro- jected to quadruple by 2025. Driving on rough roads costs Washington motorists a total of $2.9 billion each year in the form of extra vehicle operating costs – $551 annually per driver. These costs include accelerated vehicle depreciation, addi- tional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Washington's bridges are also increas- ingly deteriorated. Five percent of its locally and state-maintained bridges are structurally deficient, meaning they have significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components. These bridges are often posted for lower weights or closed to traffic restricting or redirecting large vehicles, including commercial trucks and emergency response vehicles. An additional 21 percent of Washing- ton's locally and state-maintained bridg- es are functionally obsolete. Bridges that are functionally obsolete no longer meet current design standards, often because of narrow lanes, inadequate clearances or poor alignment. Accord- ing to WSDOT, 110 state-maintained bridges that are currently rated in poor condition are expected to remain in poor condition through 2020, due to a lack of funding. WSDOT also projects that 41 state-maintained bridges cur- rently rated in fair or good condition, are expected to deteriorate to poor condi- tion by 2020 due to a lack of funding. Congestion on the state's roadways and ridership on the transit network are increasing, particularly in the Puget Sound area, where nearly 98 percent of delay hours occur. Congestion-related delays cost Washington's drivers and businesses $858 million annually. The TRIP report identifies the 15 most con- gested commuting routes in the state. Without a significant boost in trans- portation funding at the local, state and federal level, the condition and efficien- cy of Washington's surface transporta- tion system will decline. Many needed transportation improvements may not be completed without additional funds. The TRIP report identifies the needed transportation projects throughout the state that are unable to move forward without additional funding. FAST FACT The state of Washing- ton's transportation system faces mounting challenges in the form of deteriorated roads and bridges, increasing- ly congested and crowd- ed highways and transit systems.