Local projects targeted for federal stimulus funding

If Congress passes President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, the Missouri Department of Transportation could receive an infusion of one-time cash that would enable the department to immediately undertake projects across the state.

MoDOT has already selected 34 projects that could be awarded within 180 days of passage of the federal stimulus legislation. The projects, which would total approximately $510 million, would create 14,000 jobs and would have an estimated $2.4 billion impact on Missouri’s economy, according to MoDOT.

Boone County is on the list of communities to benefit. MoDOT would like to build a railroad bridge over U.S. 63, north of Route B, in Columbia. The total cost of the project would be approximately $9 million.

“We stand ready to quickly deliver 34 transportation improvements that would mean jobs, increased safety and a better quality of life for Missourians,” said Pete Rahn, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation. “These are much-needed projects that will benefit Missouri citizens.”

Mitch Skove of Columbia’s Planning and Development Department said the department was contacted around Jan. 20 about possible federal stimulus money that could fund road improvements around Columbia. Two projects were added as proposed amendments to the Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization’s Transportation Improvement Plan at the request of MoDOT. CATSO’s technical committee approved the amendments and recommended their approval by the coordinating committee, which will meet Feb. 26.

One of the projects would be resurfacing 19 miles of Route Z from State Route 124 to I-70 for an estimated cost of $1.045 million. The other road improvement project added to the list would resurface the 4.8-mile stretch of I-70 Drive Southeast from U.S. 63 to the Route Z interchange for around $264,000.

In addition, three amendments were added to CATSO’s transit section that would improve bus service in Columbia. If the stimulus money funds the projects, 20 new bus shelters will be built and run-down bus-stop benches will be replaced for an estimated $151,050. The transit system would also receive $15,600 to fund data collection and analysis on the system’s use and service.

MoDOT said that given addition funds beyond $510 million, significant portions of four additional highway projects totaling roughly $290 million could be underway in 2009.

Rahn said federal funding for infrastructure projects would have a ripple effect. It could create jobs for road builders and designers, demand for related supplies and services, as well as further economic development around the improvements.

“The job creation will go beyond just those building the projects,” Rahn said. “Suppliers, retailer, restaurants, hotels and other businesses will benefit.”

In addition, MoDOT would be prepared to undertake $137 million of work on Interstates 70, 44, 55, 35 and 29. Approximately $60 million would go toward fixing the states lettered routes in rural Missouri. The rest would be used on a variety of transportation projects across the state.

According to MoDOT, 17 of the proposed projects are already part of the state’s five-year construction program but would be sped up, some by up to four years. Projects would then be added to the statewide construction program to replace those that were accelerated. The other 17 are new projects that have been identified as regional priorities and on which environmental work and preliminary design are already under way.

Ongoing Problem

Adequate funding for the transportation department has been a long-time problem. Transportation professionals, lawmakers and MoDOT all say that the federal stimulus package would be a huge boost for Missouri’s transportation system, but it is one-time only funding.

In 2008, the Missouri Transportation Alliance was formed in order to look for long-range answers to transportation funding problems. The non-partisan group is made up of representatives from the business community, business and labor organizations, and local leaders.

On its Web site (missouritransportation.org) the group says it is “working collaboratively with Missouri citizens, public officials, local leaders, and transportation advocates, will focus on assessing regional needs and priorities to create a statewide vision that will meet the needs of the citizens of Missouri for the next decade.”

Chaired by Bill McKenna, former chairman of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and former president pro tem of the Missouri Senate, the group recently completed a series of educational meetings around the state and has plans for other meetings in the coming months.

Dave Griggs, of Dave Griggs Flooring America in Columbia, and Bob Robuck, of Central Bank in Jefferson City are serving as district chairs for Central Missouri on MoTA’s Statewide Stakeholders Central Committee.

McKenna has said that MoTA will work to secure extensive public input from citizens across Missouri regarding current and future concerns and challenges for Missouri’s transportation system. That input will provide the basis for MoTA to develop and recommend a long-term comprehensive transportation vision.

At a news conference Feb. 4, Rahn outlined the ongoing challenges faced by MoDOT due to declining transportation revenues as people drive less and make fewer vehicle purchases. While the proposed stimulus package would allow the department to fund some projects it would have had to wait on otherwise, it does not address the “slide in transportation funding the state is facing.”

The good news is Missouri’s roads have improved over the last five years. The approval of Amendment 3 in 2004 by Missouri voters redirected highway user funds to MoDOT, which allowed the department to finance more infrastructure maintenance such as smoothing roads, installing larger signs and painting wider stripes. That brought the percentage of roads deemed to be in “good condition” up from 44 percent in 2003 to 83 percent today, Rahn said.

The bad news is Amendment 3 funding ends in 2009, and McKenna said that “will significantly reduce the amount of funding available for maintenance and repair of our current system and leave virtually no new money for Missouri’s transportation needs beyond our current system.”