MAJOR PROJECTS WON'T MOVE IMMEDIATELY

SIKESTON - Among the major projects likely to be funded with additional fuel tax revenue are upgrades of Highways 25, 34, and 72 near Jackson.

The plans, as outlined in the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department's 15-year needs study, call for rebuilding or replacing the routes and right-of-way acquisition sufficient to allow future four-lane expansion if justified by traffic counts.

But District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah said completion of those highway improvements likely won't come until late in the 15-year plan.

McCullah said much of the design work that's required before construction could start hasn't been done on the highways.

Until such preliminary work is completed, bridge projects along the routes that already are included in those to be funded with Proposition A money, will be built to accommodate the future highway plans.

McCullah said, for example, that a bridge over Little Muddy Creek on Highway 72 in Bollinger County soon will be constructed, including consideration of the highway improvements as they apply to the bridge and its approaches.

The 15-year highway improvement program calls for improvement of Highway 25 from Jackson to the Malden/Campbell area; Highway 34 from Jackson to Van Buren; and Highway 72 from Jackson to Fredericktown.

"The actual design of those routes are still several years away, probably three to five years," McCullah said. "We also have some environmental concerns to look into."

Once the design of the routes are completed, then right of way acquisition begins, usually starting at both ends of the routes and "from major populations going out."

Although the process will be lengthy, McCullah said he plans to hold a series of "scoping meetings" during the next few months to gather input from citizens on the routes.

"This is considerably different from what we have done in the past," he said. "With a public hearing we go out with a recommendation and get comments. This is a different approach.

"We are saying that we are building a highway from here to here and asking: `what do you suggest?'"

At the meetings, McCullah said he hopes to receive input on everything from cultural problems to location issues and socio-economic data.

"On these projects there are a lot of facts to be considered," he said, adding that the meetings will provide valuable information to designers of the highways.

McCullah said similar scoping meetings have been used in St. Louis and Kansas City, but have never been tried in Southeast Missouri. "We plan to try it here and think these meetings will be very beneficial to us," he added.

Actual design of the highways will be done by a highway department staff and hired consultants.