Colorado Road Funding Fight Ends: What Happened
Backers of Colorado’s Restore Our Roads campaign plan to withdraw Initiative 175 from the state’s 2026 ballot after reaching a funding agreement with state leaders that would direct additional money to road and bridge repairs.
Ballot measure to be withdrawn
Initiative 175 was a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required Colorado to dedicate substantially more money each year to roads, bridges and highway safety. The measure also was designed to protect transportation funding from budget cuts.
The Restore Our Roads Coalition, which is backed by construction industry interests, said it will remove the initiative from the November 2026 ballot under the agreement. The coalition reached the deal with Democrats at the Colorado Capitol and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, according to reports on the agreement.
Funding framework would direct money to repairs
The agreement includes legislation that could earmark as much as $120 million for road repairs. The money would not come from Colorado’s General Fund, although the precise funding mechanism and timeline have not been fully detailed.
Coalition representatives described the arrangement as a “funding framework” that they say could provide more transportation funding over multiple years than Initiative 175 would have generated. Backers previously said the constitutional amendment could have directed approximately $700 million annually toward transportation.
Details remain to be finalized
State lawmakers and the coalition have characterized the agreement as common ground on the need for additional investment in Colorado’s transportation system. However, several details—including the final legislation, funding sources and distribution schedule—still must be worked out.
The proposed initiative will not appear on the November ballot if the withdrawal proceeds as announced. The deal shifts the focus from a constitutional amendment to a legislative approach for funding road maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
