WSDOT Overbudget on Snow Removal

The Washington State Department of Transportation have spent much of their winter battling snow and ice conditions throughout the entire state.

DOT Spokesperson Barbara Laboe said, "There's an amount we budget every year to handle the safety and snow and ice removal that we do but this year we're over that. It's cost us more than we had anticipated and so because of that we've asked the legislature for an additional $5 million to help address some of those additional costs."

That could mean slower fixes of potholes or other maintenance because, as Laboe noted, "By law, we are not allowed to operate at a deficit so we will balance our snow and ice budget before the end of the current biennium which is June 30th and we'll do that by obviously just how you balance any budget in that we'll have to reduce some other areas to make up the cost."

Laboe stressed that it's too early to know how this winter will impact their overall budget until they know if the legislature will give them the extra money. She did note that no road construction projects will be impacted.