WILDMAN TO SEEK NEW STUDY ON I-66

In his new role as executive director of I-66 Project Inc., Walt Wildman said Monday he plans to push for another feasibility study to answer questions raised by the one recently completed.

The final copy of a study is now being distributed, which concluded that the concept of a coast-to-coast interstate highway isn't economically feasible.

But the study did find that certain segments of the corridor might be feasible. It also left the door open that the viability of the entire corridor might be improved considerably if some assumptions were changed.

"That study really calls for more study," Wildman said. "It raised more questions than it answered."

He pointed out that the federal highway bill still has $1 million authorized for an I-66 study and he will seek congressional support to use those funds next year.

By changing certain assumptions with a new study, Wildman contends the entire concept will become economically feasible.

After that study is finished, Wildman predicted the next studies would focus on design.

One reason the costs of I-66 are so high, is that the study is based on an eight-lane highway from coast to coast.

But Wildman noted in less populated areas, a four- or six-lane highway would be sufficient.

Another problem with the first study, Wildman said, is that it studies a corridor running between Interstates 70 and 40. By using such a broad corridor, the study had to take into consideration every potential problem.

Those problems, and costs to deal with them, would be reduced significantly if a new study focused on the corridor outlined in the federal highway bill.

That corridor is specific in some parts of the country and less specific in others, but in all instances the corridor is at least defined by state.

Other factors not considered in this study, Wildman said, included safety, the impact of the North America Free Trade Agreement and reduced maintenance costs for I-70 and I-40 from having a new east-west interstate running between them.

By applying these other factors to a study, Wildman said the idea of a super highway would be economically feasible.

Calculations in the current study show that increasing benefits by 25 percent and decreasing costs of construction by 25 percent, the benefit-to-cost ratio would climb from .94 to 1.55.

Wildman's recommendations for a new study, with different assumptions, is included with the current feasibility study in a four-page letter.

Wildman was invited to have his comments included in the study, which is sent to Congress.

That letter takes particular exception to the study's conclusion that economic development along the corridor would occur at the expense of other areas.

"For those of us in the affected corridor, we feel as though it is time to stop redistributing our wealth and economic growth to other sections of the country," he wrote.

Wildman recently resigned as executive director of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, which originated the I-66 concept. He also had been serving as co-director of the I-66 organization until November, when he became president of the executive committee of the non-profit corporation promoting the highway.

But on Friday, the executive committee met and chose Wildman to serve as its executive director.

Virgil Elfrink of Cape Girardeau was elected to serve as the new president of the committee, Gene Penzel of Jackson, was re-elected vice president, and Ernie Beussink of Cape Girardeau was elected secretary-treasurer.

Gene Rhodes of Cape Girardeau, was added to the board along with current members: Earl Norman of Cape Girardeau, Benny Eason of Sikeston and Glen Dockery of Wichita, Kan.

An operating budget of $88,350 was approved for 1995. The group also approved a set of bylaws.

Wildman said an I-66 task force, which has representatives from the 11 states along the corridor, will continue to function and will be advised of the executive committee's actions last Friday.

I-66 will contract with the RCGA for a secretary and office space at its office at 1021 Kingsway.

But Wildman said he will spend most of his time working out of his home and traveling on behalf of I-66, and use the office as a place to pick up messages.

Summary of conclusions

Traffic demand, on the whole, doesn't indicate a pressing need for a coast-to-coast corridor

Low population densities, land ownership patterns and rugged terrain detract from the feasibility.

Feasibility could be enhanced by using future technologies for higher speed travel and building highway for larger and heavier trucks.

The corridor doesn't meet economic feasibility criteria because of high costs and low travel demands in some segments.

New technologies that could make the corridor more feasible are developing, making costs and benefit difficult to estimate.

Even if feasible, route would be extremely expensive and couldn't be funded under current highway funding programs.

Economic benefits of the corridor would come at the expense of economies elsewhere.

Some segments of the corridor are desirable from a state or regional perspective and should be studied further.