MoDOT seeks to improve 2,200 busiest miles of road

Sections of three major highways in Southeast Missouri will be resurfaced under the Missouri Department of Transportation's "smooth roads" program, but exact locations for such roadwork haven't been determined, MoDOT officials said Tuesday.

MoDOT plans to spend $400 million over the next three years to put a smooth surface and safety features on the state's 2,200 busiest miles of highway.

That will include sections of interstates 55 and 57 in Southeast Missouri and U.S. 67 from Festus to Farmington, said MoDOT engineer Scott Meyer. MoDOT is taking a close look at those highways to identify where improvements are most needed.

The state highway commission is expected to approve a specific list of "smooth road" projects at its Dec. 10 meeting, Meyer said.

The list of improvements could include a few other state roads in Southeast Missouri, but Meyer said he and his staff are waiting for MoDOT officials in Jefferson City to identify those routes so the district office can help identify specific projects.

The goal, Meyer said, is to resurface highways, not rebuild them. "We felt like Missourians wanted smoother roads now," he said. "We are trying to deliver as much as we can to make it better quicker."

Missourians overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment on Nov. 2 that funnels more road and bridge tax money -- previously diverted to other state agencies -- to transportation improvements.

The 2,200 miles of highway account for 60 percent of all traffic on the state system. About 86 percent of Missouri's population lives within 10 miles of one of the selected roads. "We'll focus first on the highways that benefit the most people," Rahn said.

Improvements will include better pavement for a smoother drive, as well as brighter stripes and signs, reflective pavement markers separating lanes, improved shoulders with rumble strips, and safer guardrails.

MoDOT officials said there are three phases to the road improvement plan. Besides the smoother roads initiative, the agency plans to expedite some roadwork and add some unscheduled projects to the mix.

By January, MoDOT expects to have in place a list of planned road projects that will be put on a fast track for construction.

By May, MoDOT plans to identify high priority but previously unscheduled projects that would be funded with Amendment 3 money.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123