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WASHINGTON — A congressional subcommittee received a grim picture Tuesday of what lies ahead for the Highway Trust Fund if Congress and the White House do not find a way to pay for transportation before the fund is declared insolvent in 2015.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Obama’s nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor, news services reported.

The U.S. economy improved at a moderate pace in the six weeks ended in early July, but shippers and trucking industry contacts cited caution about a shortage of truck drivers and the new hours-of-service rule, the Federal Reserve reported.

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has approved a 10-year toll plan that’s expected to increase rates by about 2.7% annually for cars and trucks.

Janet Napolitano is resigning from her position leading the Department of °®¶¹´«Ã½land Security, the Associated Press reported Friday.

A key Republican senator said he is dropping a filibuster threat to block the nomination of Gina McCarthy to become administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s failure to pass a transportation package means the state will move forward in assessing 1,120 bridges that may have to have new or additional weight restrictions, according to Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch.

Transportation officials in Kansas, faced with growing congestion in metropolitan areas, are considering more tolls to keep traffic moving, the Kansas City Star reported.

Oregon legislators passed a bill that would create a voluntary program to phase in road-usage charges in lieu of the state’s gasoline tax, the (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal reported.

The speed limit on 570 miles of rural Ohio interstate highways increased to 70 mph from 65 mph on Monday under a new state law that allows the Ohio Department of Transportation to increase the speed on all nonurban interstates.