MoDOT Making "Progress You
Can Feel," Director Tells
Legislators in State
of Transportation Address
JEFFERSON CITY - In his annual State of Transportation address,
Missouri Department of Transportation Director Pete Rahn touted
work to improve the state's major highways by the end of the year
as "progress you can feel."
Called the Smooth Roads Initiative, the program will bring the
state's busiest 2,200 miles of highways up to good condition.
These highways carry 60 percent of all traffic, and 86 percent
of Missouri's population lives within 10 miles of one of them.
Nearly 29 billion miles a year are traveled on these roads.
Funded by Amendment 3 revenue, it was originally scheduled for
completion in December 2007.
But Gov. Matt Blunt, in his recent State of the State address,
called on MoDOT to complete the Smooth Roads Initiative a year
early. "This is a major challenge, but the governor was right
to stress fixing our roads as fast as possible," Rahn said.
"It is paramount to the success of our state. The sooner we
finish, the sooner we benefit from the results. It will not
be easy, but we will meet the governor's challenge. When we
do, it will be progress you can feel in record time."
The work is part of
the state's largest-ever highway construction program -- $7.3
billion for 866 projects over the next five years. In 2005,
that meant more than 1,000 highway work zones. " There is no
doubt, 2006 will be even bigger," Rahn said.
"However, in 2010 the construction bubble bursts and our construction
program will diminish by over $600 million annually," he said.
At that time MoDOT's construction budget is projected to drop
from more than $1.4 billion to $805 million per year.
And unfunded needs
will remain, Rahn added. "Stretches of I-70, for instance, that
are nearly 50 years old were designed to last just 20 years.
By 2030, the entire length of I-70 will be stop-and-go traffic
and I-44 is just ten years behind. I-70 needs to be rebuilt
from the ground up and needs to be expanded to accommodate ever-growing
traffic and the ever-larger vehicles using it.
"The sun is shining on transportation in Missouri, but there are
storm clouds on the horizon. Good old Missouri common sense
says that you fix the roof when the sun is shining, not once it
starts raining. It is imperative that we initiate a discussion
about future transportation investments."
Rahn also advocated
an innovative public/private partnership to construct a new river
crossing in St. Louis. "We have gone back to the drawing board
on this project and, working with the Illinois Department of Transportation,
have reduced its cost by nearly half. Yet, we still do not have
the money to build it. Analysis by the Missouri Department of
Economic Development shows a 16 to one return on investment for
this project. I urge you to pass this vital legislation quickly."
Additionally, Rahn
stressed the need for a primary safety belt law in Missouri.
Currently Missouri allows only secondary enforcement, meaning
officers can only tickets motorists for failure to buckle up if
they're first pulled over for a different offense. "We could
save 90 lives per year through a primary seat belt law. We can
accomplish that noble goal by simply allowing officers to enforce
our current law that requires safety belt use.
"Now, I realize this issue may not be politically popular to some,
but I feel a moral obligation to appeal to you once again for
a primary seat belt law. Not because it is universally popular,
but because it is right."
See video and full text of State of Transportation Address
Sound bites and flyer
