Wyoming has raised the rate of its taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel from 14 to 24 cents a gallon, effective July 1 this year.

The Wyoming Trucking Association supported the increase, seeing it as the best way to raise money for the state’s roads, far better than either tolls or a weight-distance tax on heavy vehicles, according to the American Trucking Associations' State Laws Newsletter.

The legislation (H.B. 69) was signed into law by Gov. Matt Mead Feb. 15. Mead has been pushing for a new source of funding for the state Department of Transportation since he took office two years ago, according to the Billings Gazette.

The tax is expected to generate $71.8 million per year in additional revenue for highways and roads. Of that total, $47.4 million would go to the Wyoming Department of Transportation to maintain highways, $16.4 million to county roads, $6.7 million to city roads and $1.2 million for state parks.

The department estimated it needs $134 million a year just to maintain highways in their current condition.