STRICTLY BUSINESS: INTERSTATE BUSINESSES ECONOMY BOOSTERS

$3.7 billion in sales.

57,943 jobs.

$535 million in wages.

1,814 businesses.

$470 million in various taxes.

A $7 billion boost in economy.

These are some impressive statistics attributed to the state's interstate highway system.

The results of a year-long study by the NATSO Foundation -- the research and educational subsidiary of America's travel plaza and truckstop industry -- reveal that 1,800 highway service businesses employing almost 59,000 individuals can be found at interchanges along the interstate system in Missouri.

Nationally, more than 56,000 businesses, with a mission of serving motorists, are located at interchanges on the nation's 42,000-mile Interstate Highway System.

Collectively, these businesses employ 1.8 million Americans and contribute more than 208.4 billion to the U.S. economy.

The development of the interstate system has helped shape the national economy and unify a larger and diverse nation, said NATSO Foundation president W. Dewey Clower.

For 41 years, the interstate system has strengthened the nation's economy, enhanced national security and provided millions of American with freedom of mobility, said Clower.

First interstate project

Missouri, home of the first interstate project in the nation, in 1956 attracted its share of the interstate exchange business.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law creating the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways on July 19, 1956.

The first interstate projects awarded in the nation were approved by the Missouri Highway Commission Aug. 2, 1956, and the first interstate construction in the nation began on Interstate 70 at St. Charles, Mo., Aug. 13, 1956.

With more than 880 restaurants, over 440 service stations and more than 300 motels/hotels along interstate interchanges, business generated more than $3.7 billion in sales in 1996. The businesses -- more than 1,800 of them -- paid out more than $535 million in wages, purchased over $2.2 billion in goods and services, and fueled the state's economy by $7 billion.

Additionally these business collected sales taxes, fuel taxes, and lodging taxes, and paid property taxes totaling another $470 million.

A look at businesses along interstate exchanges in Missouri show:

-- 881 restaurants.

-- 448 service stations.

-- 320 motels/hotels.

-- 73 fuel stops.

-- 48 repair facilities.

-- 44 truckstops.

Final Missouri project

Missouri's interstate system was completed Oct. 5, 1987, with the final project an approach to a bridge over the Kansas River on I-670 in Kansas City.

The amount of capital investment spent constructing Missouri's interstate system was $2.85 billion.

When a 32-mile section of Interstate 55 opened between the Brewer exchange at mile-marker 137 in Perry county and the Fruitland exchange at mile-marker 105 in Cape Girardeau, open in August of 1972, motorists could travel from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis via the four-lane interstate.

More than 1,500 motorists lined up at the northern entrance to the new interstate, waiting to make their first run on the new highway.

I-55 did more than open up a safer, faster route to St. Louis, it opened up Southeast Missouri's economy to new business and industry.

This is evidenced by taking a look the Route K/I-55 intersection, where restaurants, motels and service stations abound, along with numerous big-name retail operations, including Famous Barr, Venture and JCPenney in West Park Mall on the east side of the interstate and Wal-Mart, Lowes Home Center and Target on the west side.

Communities along interstate routes thrive. Communities bypassed by the superhighways -- like those along the once busy Highway 61 -- don't.

Some interstate facts:

The average Missouri motorist travels 4.5 miles each year on the interstate system.

There are 1,178 miles of interstate highways joining Missouri's urban and rural areas and linking the state to Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Illinois.

Missouri interstate routes support 27 percent of total motor vehicle travel while comprising just 1 percent of the states public road mileage, including city and county roads.

Vehicle travel on Missouri interstate highways increased by 56 percent from 1984 to 1994, the last year data was collected.

Missouri's busiest interstates are in the St. Louis area. The busiest is I-70 with an average of 134,000 vehicles daily traveling the route in St. Louis County.

Average daily traffic for I-55 interchanges in Southeast Missouri. The number reflects the number of cars which pass over a traffic counter during a day, and may include one vehicle making multiple trips through an interchange.

Ste. Genevieve....14,893

Perryville........15,720

Jackson...........23,595

Cape Girardeau....39,790

Sikeston..........21,310

Portageville......20,490

Hayti.............20,018

79 million miles

The Reynolds Company has manufactured 79 million miles of Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil since 1947.

That's enough foil to stretch from the earth to the moon (and back) 180 times.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Reynolds Wrap.

B. Ray Owen is business editor for the Southeast Missourian.