U.S. Rep. Don Young is proposing a fuel tax hike to help pay for an expensive transportation bill that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week.

Young, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman, introduced the $375 billion, six-year transportation package. The Alaska Republican said it would provide a total of $298 billion for highway, road and bridge improvements and $69.2 billion for transit programs.

The Bush administration has proposed a $247 billion transportation bill, while the Senate’s bill is $311 billion.

Young has proposed increasing the federal gas tax to help fund the transportation package.

The previous six-year funding bill, which expired Sept. 30, provided $174 billion for highway projects and $41 billion for transit projects. Currently, transportation projects are funded through Feb. 29 under a temporary extension of that bill.

The bill would increase the minimum guaranteed percentage of return to each state from federal highway programs from 90.5 percent to 95 percent by 2009. Also, it would earmark $7.5 billion to correct railroad-highway crossings problems and eliminate road hazards.