INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WORK IN JEOPARDY WITHOUT EARLY COMPROMISE BY CONGRESS

State highway officials are pressing for speed congressional approval of legislation that would open the door to distribution of $7.2 billion in interstate highway funds. But they worry that it may already be too late to salvage the 1985 construction season. In 42 states, the interstate construction funds now on hand are too few to allow any work to go ahead this year unless Congress quickly resolves political differences over highway aid and approves a Transportation Department document--the Interstate Cost Estimate (ICE)--that must be adopted before the highway construction and repair money can be apportioned among the states. Although the Senate and the House each approved legislation last year adopting the document, they failed to resolve differences between the two chambers, thus preventing the realease of the highway funds. State highway officials and road contractors are telling Congress that unless the ICE, which estimates the cost of completing the 42,500-mile interstate highway system, is approved by early spring, they may not be able to complete the bulk of the work planned for this construction season. (Author)