HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT POISED FOR FAST ACTION

SIKESTON - In response to last week's overwhelming approval of an increase in the state's fuel tax, District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah said Monday his department is ready to move quickly to complete Proposition A projects and tackle the new list of 15-year projects.

"I think most of our people feel it is a settling experience," said McCullah. "We are not fighting battles of more money and telling people ~~`we can't do this for you.' We have a plan and now it's just a matter of accomplishing that plan.

"The challenges are still there, but they are not nearly as frustrating."

Many of the projects that are to be funded over the next 15 years with the additional state fuel tax money and federal funds still need to be designed.

But where people will see the quickest results of the new gas tax is in the increased work on completing projects funded through Proposition A, a 4-cent gas tax approved in 1987. That plan outlined projects to be funded over a 10-year period.

McCullah said all of the district engineers will meet Wednesday to re-establish the schedule for Proposition A projects so they can be accelerated.

"All of the old Proposition A projects will be accelerated and compressed," said McCullah. Projects in this category include the new Mississippi River bridge in Cape Girardeau, widening of Highway 60 between Sikeston and Poplar Bluff, replacing a number of bridges and resurfacing major highway routes.

McCullah said he believes the management philosophy of the state highway department will enable quick highway and bridge construction around the state. He noted that the department has been preparing for an opportunity like this, to have funding in place to implement a major plan.

"I think it's an exciting time," said McCullah. "We have not been idle the last few years. We have been trying to posture ourselves with a quality improvement management philosophy that pushed decisions down and involves employees in how to do things. This is one reason we can accomplish this plan without any significant increase in personnel."

One project made possible by the gas tax increase that will start immediately is the extension of Nash Road into the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority. The project is on a fast track because of some preliminary work and right of way acquisition started by the port.

Survey work for the preliminary plans will start later this week, McCullah said. "Our target date is to be under contract with that this fall," he noted.

Once the Nash Road project is finished, work will start on an outer road from Scott City to Nash Road, and then the interstate interchanges at Scott City and Nash Road will be upgraded.

Among the Proposition A projects now on a fast track in Cape Girardeau County is the installation of permanent traffic signals at Route K and Mt. Auburn Road.

Contracts will also be let this spring for resurfacing and bridge replacements on Highways 60 and 62 in New Madrid County. The Highway 60 improvements will tie in with the widening to four-lane of 60 from Sikeston to Poplar Bluff. Within 2-3 years the entire highway will be under contract, which means it should be finished in 3-5 years.

New bridges in Bollinger County, over Possum Creek on Highway 51 near Marble Hill, and over Little Muddy Creek on Highway 72, which were 3-4 years away under the old program, will now be let for bids in July.

Scheduled for fall lettings are the resurfacing and construction of new shoulders on Highway 61 from Fruitland to the Perry County line, and resurfacing of Route M from Scott City to Chaffee and upgrading of a bridge in Chaffee on Route M.

McCullah said progress is continuing on the new Mississippi River bridge.

In October, contracts will be let for a new interchange at I-55 where the relocated Highway 74 will connect with the interstate. McCullah explained that because of the subsoils at that site, the fill will need approximately two years to settle so the road will be ready when the bridge is open.

The first contract on the bridge itself will be let in the spring of 1993.

"We hope to have all right of way cleaned up this year," said McCullah. Twenty-three of the 43 tracts of property between Sprigg and the bridge site have already been acquired, and the appraisal process is just starting on the 27 tracts from the interstate to Kingshighway. Appraisals are being finished for the area in between, and some parcels have been acquired.

McCullah said the fuel tax increase leaves enough funds for some safety improvements on highways that are not targeted for major work. For example, when resurfacing work is done on highways like 61, 51, and 32, there are some funds available to use for widening shoulders and dealing with hazardous places in the road.

Rural residents will see a big increase in the overlay work on roads referred to as supplementary lettered routes. The department already had 140 miles of those roads under contract for a one-inch overlay this year. With the additional revenue that contract will be doubled.

McCullah said the increased overlay work will be done on a regular basis in the 14 counties of District 10.