Pitfalls and Potholes: Examining the Impacts of Covid-19 on the North Carolina Department of Transportation

Covid-19 has had devasting impacts across society and government worldwide in a span of a few short months. The disruption has been nothing short of catastrophic to the public and private sectors across the country and the responses have run the gamut. This commentary discusses the unique impacts of the global pandemic on public works and transportation at the state and local level through the lens of intergovernmental agreements and public private partnerships in the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has realized budget deficits the previous two fiscal years with a significant projected deficit for the current fiscal year; however, NCDOT was not blind to a future of instability. Policy implications are clear: changes must be considered that reduce the likelihood of significant budget shortfalls and reasonable measures taken to provide practicable levels of service throughout public works.