To put it simply, the cost of laying down a fresh layer of blacktop is getting a lot more expensive.

The cost of asphalt, a petroleum-based product, like gasoline and diesel fuel, has gone up dramatically over the past three years, which means that some state road projects might get done later, rather than sooner.

.The increase in the case of asphalt is really going to affect our future projects,. said David Thacker, spokesman for the state highway department's District 7, which covers 12 Central Kentucky counties, including Fayette. .The number of miles we can resurface is going to drop. We just don't have the funding to do the same amount as in the past ... in the same amount of time..

These days, 1,000 tons of asphalt used for a half-inch- to inch-thick top layer of a one-mile stretch of roadway that's 24 feet wide, costs about $58,930. Last year, the cost was $54,640, Thacker said.

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