THE CENTER SQUARE — Virginia drivers are paying one of the highest gas tax rates in the country, ranking ninth nationwide at 41.6 cents per gallon, according to new data from the Tax Foundation.

States collect gas taxes at the pump to pay for road construction and upkeep . Drivers contribute each time they fill up, and some states also tack on extra fees or sales taxes that increase the total cost.

That places the commonwealth just below Maryland, where drivers pay 46.2 cents per gallon, the seventh-highest rate, according to the report . The District of Columbia sits at 35.3 cents per gallon, ranking 17t h.

Virginia pump prices, however, remain lower than both neighbors.

GasBuddy data from Wednesday showed Virginia stations among the cheapest in the country, with p

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