CDOT budget staff warned the Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee that federal and state deadlines leave dozens of multimodal and revitalization projects at risk of losing funds.

At a STAC meeting in early January, Jeff (CDOT) summarized memos sent to local agency points of contact and CDOT project managers identifying 76 projects with remaining ARPA or House Bill 14‑66 refinance dollars. He said the U.S. Treasury obligation deadline for ARPA funds was met (contracts obligated by 12/31/2024), but the state statute shortens the usable window: ARPA‑derived funds must be expended by Dec. 11, 2026, and CDOT is encouraging work be completed well before that date so final billings and documentation can be processed. Jeff said final billing for ARPA‑tied projects must be submitted by Jan. 4, 2027, noting these deadlines are “completely inflexible.”

Jeff quantified the exposure: about $8,700,000 of ARPA funds remain unspent (tied to 13 MMOF and 1 RMS project) and roughly $75,000,000 of state‑refinanced dollars remain to be spent (tied to 52 MMOF and 10 RMS projects). The refinance funds came after the legislature swapped ARPA allocations for state general fund dollars under HB14‑66; those state dollars must be spent by the later Dec. 31 deadline and have a billing deadline of Feb. 14, 2027, unless an IGA or grant specifies an earlier date.

Jeff told STAC there is “limited flexibility” to swap funds between projects or extend deadlines and urged local agencies to communicate early if a project will struggle to meet deadlines so CDOT can explore limited options.

The warning came amid broader STAC action to protect local transit funding. Brian (Intermountain TPR) proposed and STAC approved a letter to the Joint Budget Committee urging continued support for a $10,500,000 transfer into the Multimodal Options Fund (MMOF). The motion to submit the letter was moved by Brian Serkvinick and seconded by Kristen Stevens; the chair called for opposition and, seeing none, directed that the letter be sent.

Why it matters: several local projects rely on MMOF and RMS grants for roadway, sidewalk and transit work; past rescissions (more than $71,000,000 was rescinded in a prior year) forced agencies to scale back or cancel projects. With rigid federal and state deadlines, CDOT staff said early communication and careful billing are essential to avoid funds being returned to federal or state coffers.

What’s next: CDOT asked project managers and local agency contacts to confirm timelines and raise concerns as soon as possible so staff can help prioritize billing and potential limited swap opportunities. STAC will transmit the approved JBC letter urging the $10.5 million MMOF transfer.