Commissioners approve 2021 mileage report

Published on January 31, 2022

Last week, the Weld County Board of Commissioners approved submission of the 2021 Highway User Tax Fund (HUTF) Annual Mileage and Condition Certification Report to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The annual report helps determine how much funding the county will receive for road maintenance from the HUTF in the coming year.

As a result of 46 road projects and 12 annexations in 2021, the total mileage of roadway Weld County is responsible for maintaining decreased by just over 10 miles from 2020. As of December 31, 2021, Weld County is responsible for maintaining 2,894.84 miles of roads, a total that includes 746.76 miles of paved roads and 2,148.08 miles of gravel roads. In 2021, the county received $10,786,906.38 from the HUTF to maintain county roads, the third highest amount distributed to Colorado counties. The high figure can be attributed to the fact that Weld County is consistently one of the highest ranked counties statewide when it comes to total lane miles.

According to figures in CDOT’s Final Budget Allocation Plan for the fiscal year of 2021-2022(PDF, 9MB), the HUTF remains the state’s primary generator for road projects, bringing in more than $500 million to the state annually. HUTF funds are derived from revenue collected from state-levied fuel taxes as well as registration fees and vehicle surcharges. Each year, the state treasurer distributes the funds in three revenue streams, splitting the money between CDOT, counties and municipalities.

To learn more about Weld County’s transportation system, visit the Department of Public Works webpage. More information about the HUTF, including distribution breakdowns, can be found by visiting the Colorado Department of the Treasury.