The Legislature shall have power to authorize the issuing and selling of state bonds not exceeding in the aggregate five hundred million dollars. The proceeds of said bonds hereby authorized to be issued and sold shall be used and appropriated solely for the following purposes and in the following amounts:

1. (1) One hundred twenty million dollars for bridge replacement and improvement program;
2. (2) One hundred thirty million dollars for completion of the Appalachian highway system;
3. (3) Fifty million dollars for upgrading sections of trunkline and feeder systems;
4. (4) Fifty million dollars for upgrading West Virginia State Route 2;
5. (5) One hundred million dollars for upgrading state and local service roads;

6. (6) Fifty million dollars for construction, reconstruction, improving and upgrading of U.S. Route 52 between Huntington and Bluefield, West Virginia.

   When a bond issue as aforesaid is authorized, the Legislature shall at the same time provide for the collection of an annual state tax sufficient to pay as it may accrue the interest on such bonds and the principal thereof within and not exceeding twenty-five years. Such tax shall be levied in any year only to the extent that the moneys in the state road fund irrevocably set aside and appropriated for and applied to the payment of the interest on and the principal of said bonds becoming due and payable in such year are insufficient therefor.

[Editor’s note. – This amendment was proposed by Senate Joint Resolution No. 17, Acts, Regular Session, 1973, p. 580; and ratified at a special election on November 6, 1973.]