The Governor’s Office has recommended $50 million for 20 transportation projects throughout the state as part of a cost-share program.
The cost-share program, approved by the General Assembly, matches up to 50 percent of construction contract costs for certain projects. The 20 recommended projects are a variety of road improvements, including one for General Motors’ Wentzville plant.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Missouri to turn infrastructure investments into workforce investments,” Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement. “The number of applications shows that these partnerships are not only of great interest but of great benefit to Missourians. It also highlights that many unfunded transportation needs remain in our state.”
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Cost-Share Committee received 48 applications requesting more than $92 million for $321 million in projects. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) will need to approve the recommended projects, which are expected to generate $131 million in projects.
Among the recommended projects is $3.5 million for Route A improvements for the Wentzville plant. Earlier this month, Parson joined GM officials in announcing the company plans to invest $1.5 billion in the plant.
The recommendations also include more than $8.2 million for a new Route 65 interchange in Pettis County, nearly $6 million for Route 67 four-laning in Poplar Bluff, and about $1.9 million for three roundabouts and ramp terminals in Jefferson City.
Funding for the cost-share program was appropriated from the general revenue by the General Assembly for the 2020 fiscal year. It was created as an alternative way to repair Missouri’s infrastructure after a proposed gas tax increase failed at the ballot in 2018.
MoDOT and the Department of Economic Development worked to determine how and when a proposed project would generate economic development, the Governor’s Office said in a news release.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
