Statewide, there is a current backlog of nearly 170 projects identified by regional traffic engineers to remedy safety hazards. Combined, they would cost an estimated $73 million, said Cindy Millikin, DOT traffic engineering programs manager, who handles funding issues for road-safety projects. In other words, even with the sixth-highest gas tax of any state in the country, North Carolina can’t keep pace with the list of things it needs to do.