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Stagnant federal highway money over the past five years has ratcheted up the pressure on Utah officials to find a way to pay for upkeep on state roads and bridges.

Utah legislators are considering several ideas this year that help state and local governments pay for $11 billion in transportation needs over the coming decades.

In Utah, local officials say they've felt the loss of available federal money in recent years, but their biggest concern is the uncertainty about what Washington, D.C., will offer in years to come.

Figures compiled by The Associated Press show that from 2008 to 2013, the amount of money available to Utah from the Federal Highway Trust Fund has dropped 2.3 percent. Adjusted for inflation, that drop is closer to 9.7 percent.

Congress has passed several temporary transportation funding measures, but it's unclear if they'll raise the federal gas tax or take other steps soon to find a long-term solution for highway money.

Utah would need to address its funding shortfalls anyway, but the lack of federal action is turning up the pressure, said Cameron Diehl, the government relations director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

"It raises the stakes for addressing things locally," he said. "I think the impetus is still the fact that we are responsible in Utah, and the responsible thing to do is to invest in our local infrastructure."

Utah lawmakers this year are considering increasing the state gas tax for the first time since 1997.

State Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, a Vernal Republican, has introduced legislation to raise the tax by 10 cents to 34.5 cents per gallon. It also would raise the diesel fuel tax by 5 cents, to 29.5 cents per gallon.

The money generated would include $25 million for hundreds of bridges that will need to be replaced in the coming years and $40 million to address road repairs that have been put on the back-burner.

Lawmakers are also considering allowing local governments to impose a sales tax to fund transportation and a registration fee for alternative-fuel vehicles. Those vehicles contribute to wear and tear on roads but because the drivers are buying less fuel, they're not paying the same share of repair costs.

For local governments, particularly in the rural areas, the drop in federal highway money has left some roads in need of attention, according to Garfield County Engineer Brian Bremner.

About five years ago, rural counties were competing for about $7 million annually to rehab key roads and replace bridges, projects that can cost about $2 million each, Bremner said. Now only about $4 million is passed through, leaving some routes without major maintenance.

Bremner said in his county, there are about 50 to 70 miles of aging roads that are eligible for federal dollars but have not received needed money and are causing problems for drivers.

"Some of them they get trapped behind floods or bad weather. The roads aren't in a condition that you can travel them in all types of weather," he said. "Other times, they're just so washboardy, the corrugations on the road, that it's just totally unpleasant."

Bremner said extra money, either from the federal highway fund or a state solution, is needed to keep things from getting worse.

"Give us four or five years," he said, "And it could be dire." More on American Infrastructure

Across the country, states are looking for ways to pay for highways and bridges.

The need has lead to some alternative ideas.