AREA HIGHWAY WORK WILL SPUR ECONOMY

The newest federal highway bill not only will provide millions of dollars for needed highway improvements in southern Missouri, but it will serve as a catalyst for the region's economy.

New and improved highways -- particularly those that carry heavy volumes of traffic -- typically spur commercial development along the routes, and major projects will put a lot of people to work and consume large amounts of materials that will be purchased locally.

The six-year highway bill details funding for 27 transportation projects in Missouri, four of which are in southern Missouri. More than $50 million for the four projects will come from the federal government, and the total cost of construction tops $137 million over the next two or three years.

The southern Missouri projects are a Highway 67 bypass at Poplar Bluff, widening of Highway 60 to four lanes between Ellsinore and near Van Buren, widening of Highway 412 to a four-lane divided road between Kennett and Hayti, and widening of Highway 63 to four lanes between Willow Springs and West Plains.

The Poplar Bluff bypass, construction of which already is under way, is certain to lead to new commercial development. The six-mile bypass will start at the Highway 60-67 interchange north of Poplar Bluff and tie back into Highway 67 three miles south of the city. The project will compliment the Highway 60 bypass that was completed a few years ago, and while it will relieve Poplar Bluff's business district of a lot of traffic, look for businesses to spring up along the new route.

The same can be expected along the six miles of Route 412 that will be widened, particularly on the outskirts of Kennett and Hayti. The highway already carries a lot of traffic -- mostly trucks -- from Interstate 55 westward to Kennett, and where large numbers of trucks travel related businesses usually thrive.

The Highway 60 widening in Carter County will mean another 11-mile stretch of the dangerous, winding road that used to run across southern Missouri will be made much safer, as will heavily traveled Highway 63 in Howell County.

Improved highway safety, of course, will be the prime benefit of all the improvements, but the snowball effect on the economy will be welcome across the region.