U. S. 36 Construction progress a tribute to MoDot, area voters

August 10, 2008

OUR OPINION

CONSTRUCTION work on U.S. 36 from Hannibal to Macon, Mo., is ahead of schedule and under budget — two things that speak well of the Missouri Department of Transportation, future prospects for that corridor and for the region as a whole.

Traffic began flowing along a new four-lane segment of U.S. 36 near Monroe City last Thursday. When another segment opens this week, the 10.5 miles of divided highway between the Rocket truck stop and Monroe City will be complete.

Another 42 miles of four-lane is on track to be open for traffic between Monroe City and Macon by the end of 2009 — a full year ahead of what was expected when the project was launched.

Voters in Marion, Monroe, Shelby and Macon counties had the foresight in November 2005 to approve a local sales tax to pay up to $43 million, or half the cost, of upgrading U.S. 36 to four lanes. MoDOT promised at the time to complete construction by the end of 2010.

Contractors later presented very competitive bids for three construction projects and the total cost came in at $72.3 million, or about $14 million lower than initial estimates. Larry Craig, chairman of the U.S. 36 Transportation Development District, reported last week that sales tax collections have come in higher than expected. The tax may now sunset in 13 years, rather than the 15 years promised to voters.

The construction of a four-lane U.S. 36 across Missouri has been sought for decades. Its opening next year will be doubly important because it will complete the Missouri segment of the Chicago-to- Kansas City Expressway. The Illinois segment of the C-KC will be completed this year, with the exception of the Macomb Bypass, when Ill. 336 is opened between Carthage and Macomb.

In addition, U.S. 36 will no longer be a two-lane bottleneck for traffic coming west from I-72 in Illinois, or to the traffic headed east along portions of U.S. 36 that have been a divided highway for years.

The intersection of U.S. 36 and U.S. 61/Avenue of the Saints at Hannibal will create a major regional crossroads. That will open the door to tremendous opportunities, but also will make it absolutely vital that MoDOT build the Hannibal Expressway as soon as possible to route non-local and heavy truck traffic off of undivided city streets.

Progress along U.S. 36 shows what can happen when MoDOT is trusted with the resources to build and maintain the state’s massive highway system. There is, however, some very bad news on the horizon. Funding for MoDOT will plummet from more than $1.2 billion this year to $540 million in fiscal 2010. A shortfall in federal funding and the expenditure of Amendment 3 bond money will leave the state with only enough to cover the most important maintenance projects.

Missouri is not alone.

Congressman James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has warned that the nation’s transportation network, “once the envy of the world, is losing ground.”

In remarks presented at the Avenue of the Saints dedication July 25th near Wayland, Oberstar said it will require “bold new vision, bold new approaches” to ensure that the nation’s transportation system remains an engine of economic growth.

The consequences of failing to adequately invest in the nation’s “backbone of economic vitality....are staggering,” he warned.

Members of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, meeting last week in Canton, heard much the same message. They were told that regional and political leaders at all levels must work together and exercise the bold vision that Oberstar said is necessary at this “transformational moment.”

Bold vision, collaborative partnerships and creative solutions are the keys to meeting the transportation challenge facing this region and the nation.

The full potential of past investments and the promise of a brighter future will not be fully realized if we fail.