SCOTT CITY COUNCIL GETS UPDATE ON ROAD PROJECTS

SCOTT CITY -- District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah told the Scott City Council Monday that the newly approved state fuels tax increase will mean several highway projects in the city will begin soon.

One project that will start immediately is the extension of Nash Road to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port. Preliminary work has been completed and right of way has been acquired.

Another project is an additional access road to the city from Cape Girardeau.

"The prospects for an alternate access road to the city are very good," McCullah told council members. The access road would run from Nash Road to possibly Route K in Cape Girardeau.

McCullah said traffic along Route K is increasing to about 13,000 cars per day.

The alternate-access-road project would begin when the road extension to the port is under construction, he said.

The specifics concerning the road extension are yet to be decided, he said. Highway officials will work with Scott city officials in deciding exactly where the road will be built.

Mayor Shirley Young said the two projects and one slated for 1996 or 1997 to upgrade the city's present interchange with Interstate 55 will mean economic growth for Scott City.

"This is going to be extremely helpful for business along that area," the mayor said, adding the Nash Road industrial area is targeted for major growth in the coming years. The city recently completed work on water and sewer lines to the area.

"We thought the water and sewer lines were going to make that place shine, but it's looking like gold now," she said.

The 6-cent increase in the gasoline and diesel tax was signed into law Feb. 20 by Gov. John Ashcroft. The price of gasoline in Missouri will increase 2 cents starting April 1 and go up another 4 cents during the next five years.

Scott City collects about $100,000 a year in fuel tax revenue. McCullah said the gas tax increase means that figure will grow to more than $150,000 in the next five years.

He said the Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City areas will see major improvements in highways in the coming years.

"At the end of the construction season of 1994, we should be close to driving on the port road and the access road," he said.

"The additional federal revenue will mean highway upgrades all across the state, but it will particularly benefit Southeast Missouri," he said.

Young said the Southeast Missouri area has until now been overlooked by the state when it comes to highway projects.

"They've realized that there is work to be done in this area, and I think we did a good job of letting them know this," she said.

In other business, the council entered into a one-year contract with MFA Oil Co. to supply petroleum products to the city.