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WASHINGTON — Congested and deteriorating roadways and inland ports as well as insufficient access to wireless communication in rural communities continues to impede commerce for freight and agricultural industries in farming areas, representatives from rural firms told lawmakers July 19.

Congress hasn’t raised the federal gas tax since 1993 when Bill Clinton was president, but a narrow majority of Americans would support an increase to help fix crumbling roads and bridges in their own states.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced July 17 what he called the state’s largest infrastructure project by far, a $4.7 billion plan to pave roads and rehab bridges over the next five years.

Several state transportation agencies are reviewing whether to proceed with a federal request to reapply for infrastructure grants that would rely significantly on private capital.

The deadline to submit applications for new federal infrastructure grants is Nov. 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced.

TT Managing Editor Lorrie Grant chats with government reporters Eugene Mulero and Eric Miller to recap the year so far in congressional and regulatory news that impact trucking, and looks ahead at the final six months. (Joseph Terry/Transport Topics)

Identifying the most viable source of long-term funding for infrastructure projects nationwide is an elusive task, the country’s top transportation officer explained last week.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter DeFazio is never far from home. His small office at the Rayburn House Office Building is a bona fide southwest Oregon visitor center. Visitors are greeted by posters of college football matchups featuring Oregon schools, photos of the Pacific coast and majestic mountains and a cute little beaver reminiscent of a Gund stuffed animal by the front desk.

Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are scheduled to deliver keynote addresses at the National Association of Manufacturers annual summit in Washington on June 20-21.

The Trump administration has yet to agree on how to fund a portion of a $1 trillion, 10-year infrastructure plan expected to be unveiled this fall, the country’s top transportation officer told House funding leaders on June 15, a week after the White House hosted infrastructure-centric events around the country.