SENATE HOLDS KEY FOR BRIDGE

The U.S. Senate now holds the key to designating Cape Girardeau's new Mississippi River bridge as a "demonstration project," a state highway commissioner said Wednesday.

The designation is far from being a sure thing, added the commissioner, John L. Oliver of Cape Girardeau.

Last week, the U.S. House passed a National Highway System authorization bill that includes $11.5 million in initial funding for the project.

The bill designates the bridge as an "authorized project," which means funds for the project will not be charged against the regular allocation of federal highway funds to the states of Missouri and Illinois.

U.S. Reps. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, and Harold Volkmer, D-Hannibal, joined with Illinois colleagues -- Jerry Costello and David Durbin -- to have the proposed bridges at Cape Girardeau and Hannibal specially designated.

The move was made to break a long stalemate with Illinois highway officials who refused to commit to funding. Illinois officials maintained that the bridges should not be paid for from the state's regular allocation of federal highway funds under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1991.

They argued that the 80 percent federal share of funding for the bridges should come from other federal funds, a contention that drew criticism from Oliver and many Missouri officials.

But in order to end a stalemate, the attempt to have the bridges funded as "authorized projects" was made.

Although the highway authorization bill containing the bridge language passed the House, Oliver said there might be problems in the Senate. Some senators have pledged to remove all demonstration projects from the bill.

"It is pretty much up to what the Senate leadership wants to do right now," said Oliver, a Cape Girardeau attorney and vice chairman of the highway commission. "Right now some strong Eastern liberal voices are saying no demonstration projects."

Oliver said it remains uncertain if the Senate will act on the National Highway System bill before this session of Congress adjourns.

"We don't think the Senate is even going to vote in 1994 ... the consensus is that it is unlikely the Senate will vote," said Oliver.

If the Senate does not take action this year, then the House will have to take up the bill again next year and start the process over. Oliver predicted swift passage of a similar bill by the House if that happened, but continued problems in the Senate.

"Some key senators say that the highway bill is going to be a clean bill with no new demonstration projects, and if they prevail, we won't be anywhere down the road," observed Oliver.

"But if our two senators and Illinois' Sens. Paul Simon and Carol Moseley Braun hang tough we have a chance."

Currently, Missouri is far ahead of Illinois in committing funding and planning for the bridge at Cape Girardeau. But Illinois has allocated money in this year's transportation budget for right-of-way acquisition.

If things can be worked out in Congress, Oliver said by the time a bridge contract is ready to be let, Illinois will be caught up with Missouri.

"Illinois has insisted that the money for the bridge has to be outside of their ISTEA allocation," said Oliver. "If the funds for the bridge are not in this bill, then there is a big problem."

In the bill passed by the House, the initial funding authorized for the Cape Girardeau bridge is $5 million in general funds and $6.5 million from the highway trust fund.

Some funds are also authorized for the bridge at Hannibal.