Public Invited to Discuss Priority Unfunded Transportation Needs

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JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri’s transportation system is a tremendous asset to the citizens of Missouri. The system consists of 33,830 miles of roads and 10,399 bridges, both of which rank among the largest for any state in the nation. The Missouri Department of Transportation working with its statewide regional planning partners have identified $1 billion in annual unfunded needs. From the broader unfunded needs, MoDOT has developed a High Priority Unfunded Needs list to guide the development of projects into funded projects as state and federal transportation funds increase.

Public meetings will be held across the state from Nov. 16 through Dec. 9. The full list of the meeting dates, time and locations are here: https://www.modot.org/unfundedneeds.  The current document and the draft updated High Priority Unfunded Needs document are available for review.

Since the passage of Missouri’s additional 12.5 cent motor fuel tax increase in July, MoDOT staff have worked with metropolitan planning organizations and regional planning commissions throughout the state to develop a list of high priority unfunded road and bridge needs.  The draft project-specific lists include $4.5 billion of road and bridge projects in three tiers. Tier one includes $543 million and includes projects we could accomplish in the time of the current five-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as federal and state funding levels increase. These projects have good estimates. Tier two is worth $2.1 billion and includes projects beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. Tier three includes $2.2 billion of projects that are also beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. In addition, MoDOT staff worked with the planning partners to identify $1 billion in multimodal needs.

“Even with additional revenue, transportation needs greatly outweigh funding available, and the challenge is determining the optimal projects to fund that provide the greatest return on investment to taxpayers,” said MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna. “Across every region of the state, feedback from Missourians has consistently prioritized maintaining the existing system as the highest priority. Other priorities include projects that improve safety, spur economic growth, and provide more transportation choices. We value Missourians input in this new draft as we work to prioritize the increasing federal and state transportation revenue.”

The draft document and comment forms will be available online through December 22.  For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.