Funding will spur more growth

To the editor:

After several years of hard work, negotiation and lobbying, Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County were awarded $10.8 million from the new federal highway bill to build an interchange on Interstate 55 at East Main Street and LaSalle Avenue. Also funded were the connecting roads of phase two of East Main Street on the Jackson side and LaSalle Avenue on the Cape Girardeau side of the interstate.

These improvements will spark more orderly residential, commercial and industrial growth in Jackson and Cape Girardeau. They also will provide a needed additional route between the two growing cities. The end result will be a tremendous benefit to Cape Girardeau County.

This funding is all positive for the local entities. Jackson and Cape Girardeau are already experiencing significant expense from a variety of road and other projects. This funding will take the strain off the local entities to be able to spend some of their dollars on other needs.

We would like to thank U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson for their cooperation and vision to help with this needed transportation and economic-development projects. We appreciate those efforts very much.

PAUL W. SANDER, Mayor, Jackson

JAY B. KNUDTSON, Mayor, Cape Girardeau

GERALD JONES, Presiding Commissioner, Cape Girardeau County, Jackson