Lawmakers are regrouping after an attempt to significantly raise taxes to improve Michigan’s roads and bridges stalled in the Republican-led state Senate.

After a marathon session, senators broke early Thursday morning without passing a measure that would have more than doubled the 19-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax within five years. They also couldn’t muster enough support for a scaled-back plan to switch from a flat per-gallon tax to one that would fluctuate with price to keep revenue on pace with inflationary construction costs.

Senators return midmorning to revisit the issue on the Legislature’s last day before a summer break.

Advocates say Michigan should spend at least $1.2 billion more a year on deteriorating roads. But a long-term road-funding fix remains elusive. The last gas tax hike was enacted in 1997.

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