Thumbs up: Highway fix gets underway

California’s fuel taxes won’t go up until November, and that could be delayed if a referendum sponsored by legislative Republicans qualifies for the ballot. But the state isn’t waiting to pump more money into road repairs, including a stretch of Highway 116 in the west county. On Friday, Caltrans announced plans to launch 13 highway resurfacing projects this summer and speed up 50 other road repair projects around the state. A $2.8 million resurfacing of Highway 116 near Sebastopol is the only North Coast project on the list for immediate attention. It isn’t uncommon for public agencies to expedite work by borrowing against future tax revenue. “Caltrans is working quickly to get work done,” agency director Malcolm Dougherty said in a written statement released along with the list. “This summer we will deploy construction teams across the state to resurface highways, improve safety for motorists and start filling more potholes than ever before.”

The repairs are long overdue. Thumbs up.