HIGHWAY PROJECTS PROCEED IN 1993

SIKESTON -- The largest highway construction program in Missouri history can be accomplished this year if Congress releases promised funding, says the chief engineer of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department.

"Missouri will receive $65 million less than we're supposed to get this year because the federal government is holding back money intended for highway construction," said Wayne Muri, chief engineer of the highway department. Muri's comments coincided with the release last week of the highway department's 1993 construction schedule approved by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.

Among the major projects contained in this year's list is the start of construction for the Highway 74 relocation project through Cape Girardeau to connect with the new $41.2 million Mississippi River bridge; and the startup of the Nash Road extension from I-55 to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority's public dock.

In a related development, state officials are scheduled to fly to Washington this week to meet with federal highway and transportation officials to try to speed up the funding process for the new river bridge at Cape Girardeau.

Muri praised the overall 1993 construction schedule for the state.

"There are several reasons why this is an outstanding construction program for Missourians," Muri said. "For one thing, it will speed up completion of projects started under Proposition A in 1987. The work accomplished by this program will also eliminate one-way bridges, add new and improved two-lane routes and create more than 1,700 miles of four-lane highways."

Muri said the 1993 program would be funded by $550 million of federal and state money for highways, bridges and right of way. That total is based on receipt of about $410 million in federal money for Missouri.

"Now, we're told only $345 million of the federal money will be available $65 million will be held back," Muri said. "If we don't get the federal money we've been promised, construction plans will have to be scaled back, and it's more likely the 15-year highway improvement program will take longer to complete. President Clinton has been saying highway spending should be a priority, and we're hopeful he'll follow through with that."

The 1993 construction program includes $510 million for highway and bridge construction and $40 million for right-of-way purchases. In 1992, $410 million was spent on construction, and $50 million for right of way.

A series of public meetings will be held around the state in March to gather comments on the 1993 construction program, Muri said.

Among the major statewide projects in this year's construction program is phase two of the I-55 and I-270 interchange project in south St. Louis County, and on-going construction of the new Mississippi River bridge at Alton, Ill.

In Southeast Missouri, major projects scheduled to begin this year:

- Construction of several bridges on Highway 60 in Stoddard County between Dexter and Fisk. It's part of on-going conversion of Highway 60 from two-lane to four-lane from Sikeston to Poplar Bluff

- Highway 74 relocation project - from I-55 to the new river bridge in Cape Girardeau

- Right-of-way acquisition for the Nash Road extension to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority public dock facility. Actual grading and paving of the highway and construction of bridges over the Ramsey Creek Diversion Channel is scheduled to begin in late 1993, with completion of the port road in late 1995 or 1996.

District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah said work on the Highway 74 project this year will include acquisition of right of way and construction of earthen approaches and box culverts for the new Highway 74/I-55 interchange that will be located south of the existing Bloomfield Road overpass. Cost of the work is $3.5 million.

Construction of the Highway 74 bridge over the interstate at the interchange is not scheduled to begin until sometime between 1996-1999, McCullah noted.

Right-of-way acquisition for the relocated Highway 74, from the Mississippi River west to I-55, will be completed this year.

Work is also scheduled to begin later this year on construction of two Highway 74 bridges over Cape La Croix Creek, between Minnesota and Rust Avenue, at a cost of $3.2 million.

The final phase of the 3.5 mile Highway 74 relocation project that will link I-55 with the new bridge, will begin after 1996, when the actual grading and paving begins.

McCullah said actual construction of the $41.2 million Mississippi River bridge at Cape is now scheduled to begin in 1995. He said the first phase of the bridge project will include building cofferdams in the river for construction of the bridge's two main span piers. In addition, a series of smaller piers will be built to carry the highway from the east end of the bridge to the levee near East Cape Girardeau, Ill.

Work on the bridge superstructure is scheduled to start in 1996, with completion and opening of the bridge now estimated at around 2001.

"As a matter of practice, we've found that it generally takes about five years to complete a bridge of this size from the day construction of the substructure (piers) begins," McCullah said.

However, he noted the construction schedule could speed up by two years if additional funding is obtained to cover Illinois' share of the bridge construction costs.

"We are working on the assumption that might happen, so we want to make sure we'll have all of our work completed on this side of the river if the bridge is completed ahead of schedule," McCullah explained.

He said a delegation of state officials, including Muri, state highway commissioner John Oliver and others are scheduled to fly to Washington this week to meet with federal highway and transportation officials, and members of the Missouri and Illinois political delegations. They will ask federal officials to release discretionary funds that would provide Illinois's share of the cost of the new bridge.

"The bottom line is, if all the funding is in place, and we can get the money for Illinois' share of the bridge project, we could get the project under contract and be ready to start construction as early as the fall of 1994, "McCullah said.

Other Southeast Missouri projects that are scheduled to begin this year, or as noted, include:

- Painting of the Mississippi River bridge at Chester, Ill., and replacement of channel navigation lights on the bridge, in cooperation with state of Illinois. Missouri's share is $800,000. Part two of this project, scheduled for 1994, is resurfacing of one-half mile of Route 51, from the west bank of the river to the main river span, and rehabilitation of the smaller bridge span over a slough of the river on the Missouri side. McCullah said these projects may be switched if the state cannot meet EPA requirements for removal of the old paint on the bridge by this year.

- Repaving of about one mile of I-55 in both the north and southbound lanes on Benton Hill, south of Scott City, to repair cracking caused by settling of the road bed. Cost: $493,000.

- Replacement of the Castor River Bridge at Marquand. Cost: $1.2 million.

- Installation of constant warning system railroad grade crossing equipment on Route EE, south of Delta, and Route P in Randles. Cost: $100,000 for each crossing.

In addition to construction, the program also authorizes corridor studies on:

- Highway 34, east of Van Buren to west of Jackson, 87 miles.

- Highway 72, Fredericktown to Jackson, 53 miles.

- Preliminary engineering and study on 20 miles of Highway 25 in Cape Girardeau County, from I-55 to Stoddard County line.

- Highway 60, from west of Poplar Bluff to east of Willow Springs, to determine actual location of four-lane pavement. This is part of on-going project to convert Highway 60 to four-lane from Sikeston to Willow Springs. The highway is already to four-lane from west of Willow Springs to Springfield.