Obama signs $10.8 billion temporary highway funding bill

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed into law $10.8 billion in temporary funding for highway and transit construction.

The bill the White House says Obama signed Friday will keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent through May, when lawmakers will again be challenged to come up with longer-term funding.

The trust fund is the primary source of federal aid to states for surface transportation projects. Its money comes from the taxes paid on gasoline and diesel fuel. But revenue hasn’t been keeping up with demand because people are driving less and vehicles are more burning less fuel.

Administration officials had said the fund would run out of money later this month unless Congress acted.

Obama has been urging Congress to pass his four-year $302 billion transportation plan instead.