Colorado Road Funding Fight Ends: What Happened?
Backers of Colorado’s Restore Our Roads coalition have agreed to withdraw Initiative 175 from the 2026 ballot after reaching a tentative funding agreement with Attorney General Phil Weiser and Democratic lawmakers. The framework would direct as much as $120 million toward road repairs without using the state General Fund.
Ballot Measure to Be Withdrawn
Initiative 175 would have amended the Colorado Constitution to require increased annual funding for roads, bridges and highway safety projects. The measure also would have protected transportation funding from future budget cuts.
The Restore Our Roads coalition, which is backed by construction industry groups, said it will remove the proposal from the November ballot under the agreement reached with state leaders.
Funding Framework Under Development
Supporters said the proposed legislative framework could provide more transportation funding over multiple years than Initiative 175 would have generated. Earlier estimates from the coalition described the ballot measure as a plan to increase road funding by roughly $700 million annually.
Under the tentative agreement, legislation would earmark up to $120 million for road repairs. The money would come from sources outside the state General Fund, according to the information released about the agreement.
Details Still Pending
The final structure of the funding plan, including its duration, revenue sources and distribution, is expected to be addressed through legislation at the Colorado Capitol. The agreement marks a shift from a constitutional amendment campaign to a legislative approach for increasing transportation spending.
Colorado lawmakers and transportation officials have faced continued pressure to address road and bridge maintenance needs across the state. Removing Initiative 175 from the ballot is contingent on the negotiated funding framework moving forward.
