Puerto Rico transportation agencies ask for $75 million a year for maintenance; identify 508 unaddressed landslides

Edwin González Montalvo, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) and executive director of the Autoridad de Carretera y Transportación, told the House Commission on Hacienda y Presupuesto on Thursday that the agencies need additional recurring money to maintain the island road network and to address a backlog of landslides.

González said the authority has 744 employees and is planning to add about 52 positions next fiscal year; DTOP reported about 1,193 employees and more than 2,000 vacancies and has requested funding to create 96 additional positions. He said the authority has obligated and disbursed substantial capital (CAPEX) this fiscal year and projects roughly $329 million in CAPEX spending by year‑end after disbursing $229 million through Feb. 28.

The agencies told lawmakers that federal highway apportionments are largely dedicated to reconstruction and come with restrictions. “Those federal funds are for reconstruction — they come with a name and a purpose,” González said during the hearing, explaining that much of the Federal Highway Administration money must be used on interstate or major corridors and for work tied to federal program conditions.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed…