U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans demanded action from Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation, as he expressed “grave concerns” over the “continued mismanagement” of the state’s transportation agency.

In his letter to Polis and CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew, Evans demanded “immediate corrective action” to refocus the state transportation agency on its “core infrastructure priorities.”

“I respectfully urge your offices to take immediate steps to correct the blatant mismanagement that has plagued CDOT under your leadership, restore public trust in CDOT, and ensure good governance in the allocation of taxpayer dollars,” Evans wrote. “The agency’s failure to prioritize core infrastructure needs despite record-high budgets and unprecedented federal support is not just irresponsible, it’s indefensible.”

“My constituents deserve a transportation system that works for them, not against them. I will continue to advocate for the communities I serve, whom you have neglected, until CDOT is reoriented toward delivering results that reflect their needs and values,” the Republican said.

Evans, a Republican who represents the 8th Congressional District, said his constituents in Adams, Weld and Larimer counties have lamented the condition of local road conditions and traffic congestion, despite CDOT’s budget nearly doubling since Polis took office.

According to CDOT’s annual budget allocation plan, Colorado residents and businesses pay about $500 million in fees to the agency, which Evans said “disproportionately falls onto road users and industries that depend on conventional fuel and freight movement to operate and grow.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers ranked Colorado 43rd in the country for road conditions and 45th for rural highways, he added.

“These rankings reflect years of out-of-touch priorities as CDOT has expanded spending on political initiatives, while failing to adequately invest in core roadway maintenance and safety,” Evans said.

Nearly half of the agency’s funding comes from the federal government, and Evans noted a recent statement from the U.S. Department of Transportation, accusing Colorado of “slow walking a purge of illegally issued truck licenses” by issuing commercial driver’s licenses to Mexican nationals, which is legal under state law.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy warned that the state could lose $24 million in federal funding if it does not comply with federal regulations.

The Governor’s Office said Gabe’s letter is “riddled with inaccuracies.”

“We urge the Congressman to help Colorado protect the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal transportation funding that the Trump administration reportedly eliminated this week – funding that protects Coloradans from severe weather events like fires and floods,” the office said.

The office also listed things it sought to “correct,” including that the state receives about $813 million a year from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, “not billions.” Polis’ office also said total rural road investments over the past five years have “improved thousands of miles of roadways that had previously been untouched.”

“We continue making unprecedented investments in major roads in Northern Colorado, like I-25, I-76, and US 287, to improve thousands of miles of rural roads across the state,” the governor’s office said, adding the state is also advancing local priorities, such as the MERGE project on US 34 in Greeley.