State auditors urge clearer tracking and earlier notice for major paving projects

The State Auditor's Office told the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday that Vermont’s Agency of Transportation (AOT) needs clearer, consistent tracking of why paving projects fall behind schedule or exceed cost estimates and earlier notice to the legislature when projects are delayed or funding is shifted.

The recommendation came during a presentation by the auditor’s office, which reported follow-up work on a 2023 audit of AOT’s paving program. The auditors examined 14 paving projects with estimated construction costs of $2 million or more and said many projects took longer or cost more than originally forecast. "We first made a recommendation that VTrans develop and implement a process to consistently record why the reasons for cost and schedule deviations," said Timash, Deputy State Auditor. "And there's a statutory requirement that if a project is delayed because they need the funding, they shift the funding to another project. They're required by statute to inform you."

Why it matters: Without consistent documentation and timely notification, legislators and local officials may not see years-long schedule slippage or multi‑year cost increases until after money has been reallocated or estimates have grown significantly. The auditors showed one long-running example — referred to in testimony as the Killington–Stockbridge (Stockbridge Park) project — that…