Legislative leaders say naming too many specific infrastructure projects in this session’s road funding bill could be damaging.

Throughout the last year or so of the road funding debate, there are specific road projects that most agree the state should prioritize going forward – for instance, finishing Interstate 69 and making Interstate 70 and Interstate 65 three lines wide from border to border.

Senate Appropriations Chair Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) says he’s comfortable make those priorities clear.

“I want all of the elected … the representatives and the senators to sort of have a good feel for what it is we’re going to do and I want the public to be able to know that too,” Kenley says.

Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) agrees but says that’s as specific as he wants any road funding legislation to get.

“Once you start drilling down specifically to local projects, then suddenly it becomes a big negotiation here for 150 people to have something in their district,” Bosma says. “I know that gets to be, kind of, falling into a morass and everyone starts thinking parochially, rather than what’s good for the entire state.”

Kenley agrees, saying he doesn’t want legislation to limit the state’s ability to react to future needs.