Comment Period Opens for Transportation Improvements in Missouri

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is seeking public input on the draft submitted to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for the 2020-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP focuses on taking care of the state’s existing transportation system, and provides for a 30-day public review and comment period.

MoDOT Planning Director Machelle Watkins told commissioners the draft STIP includes 1,869 highway and bridge projects, of which 85% will be maintained in the condition they are in today. On average, the STIP annually invests in 1,014 lane miles of interstate pavements, 1,346 miles of major route pavements, 2,652 miles of minor route pavements and 213 bridges.

Missouri has the nation’s seventh largest state highway system with 33,859 miles of roadways and 10,385 bridges, but ranks 48th nationally in revenue per mile.

“With the priority of maintaining the existing system, MoDOT has developed asset management plans for each district, with the goal to maintain current pavement and bridge conditions,” Watkins said. “The asset management plans focus on preventive maintenance improvements to keep good roads and bridges in good condition. If preventive maintenance investments were not made, the cost of improving the asset in poor condition can cost four to ten times more.”

The STIP includes funding for the “Focus on Bridges” program that was initiated by the Governor and funded by the Missouri General Assembly approved budget with a one-time $50 million injection of general revenues for the rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of 45 bridges, including one in Jackson County at 140^th Street at I-49. The money currently dedicated to these bridge projects will then be freed up for additional improvements to the state system of roads and bridges.

The program was developed assuming federal funding levels consistent with the FAST Act, which expires in September 2020. A forecast assuming a reduced level of federal funding, consistent with Highway Trust Fund revenues, was also prepared. MoDOT and planning partners worked together to identify specific projects that would be delayed, should federal funding be reduced.

The STIP details an annual construction program that averages $924 million per year for the five-year period. But it is insufficient to meet the state’s unfunded high-priority transportation needs that are estimated in MoDOT’s “Citizen’s Guide to Transportation Funding,” at an additional $825 million per year.

“Across every region of the state, feedback from Missourians has consistently prioritized maintaining the existing system as the highest priority,” MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said. “The STIP represents our commitment to Missourians of the projects that will be developed and delivered over the next five years.

“However,” McKenna continued, “this STIP recognizes the serious consequences to our plans if policy makers in Washington are unable to fix the Highway Trust Fund. In Missouri, that puts $613 million of projects including 5,423 lane-miles of roadway improvements and 55 bridge projects in jeopardy in FY 2021 and 2022. We have worked with our planning partners to determine these at-risk projects and offer a qualified commitment of project delivery.”

The draft STIP also includes detailed project information for non-highway modes of transportation and includes a section detailing planned operations and maintenance activities for the next three years, alongside expenditures for those same activities in the prior year. This additional information is provided to allow Missourians to more easily see how their transportation funding is invested.

The draft 2020-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2020 through 2024 (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024). Those interested in seeing the program or offering comments can contact MoDOT by email to STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov, by calling customer service at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636), or by mail to Transportation Planning, Program Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The program is also available on MoDOT's website at www.modot.org/DRAFTSTIP and at MoDOT district and regional offices around the state. The formal comment period ends July 5, 2019.

Following the public review period, the comments will be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. The Commission will review the comments and the final transportation program before considering it for approval at its July 10 meeting in Richmond.