I-55 INTERCHANGES ON STATE LIST; NOW REAL EFFORT BEGINS

The news from the Missouri Highway Commission in Jefferson City this week was good. Another Jackson interchange on I-55 has been added to the Highway and Transportation Department's 15-year plan, which already includes an interchange to the north at Oak Ridge.

It was something of a surprise that both interchanges were placed on the 15-year plan. Earlier this year the Cape Girardeau County Commission was asked to decide which interchange should have a higher priority. This was the first time the commission had been asked to do such a ranking, and there was a feeling that only one interchange would wind up on the state's list.

The county commission, to its credit, tackled the interchange issue in a forthright and conscientious way. The commissioners gathered as much data as possible in a short amount of time and ultimately picked the Oak Ridge interchange, mainly because it already had been on the state's list for a year. But the commission made it clear that the Jackson interchange, which would tie in with a planned extension of East Main Street, also was important.

More than that, Jackson officials have been campaigning hard to keep its new interchange on the front burner. Probably more than anything else, the county seat sought -- and found -- additional federal funding to help pay for the project. Nothing turns heads on the highway commission faster than getting more funding.

Credit for putting both interchanges on the 15-year list goes to the hard work of Jackson backers and steadfast county commissioners. In addition, having John Oliver, a Cape Girardeau lawyer, on the commission was a plus as well.

Looking ahead, the effort to construct the new interchanges has barely begun. Having a project on the 15-year highway plan is just a notch above being rejected for possible consideration as funds become available. Jackson and Cape Girardeau County officials understand that the real work lies in convincing state planners and the highway commission that either or both of the two proposed interchanges should be funded before other equally pressing projects elsewhere around the region and the state.

To that end, supporters of the interchanges will need to keep up the pressure and demonstrate the need for additional interstate access. With the rapid growth in Jackson and the northern reaches of Cape Girardeau, that shouldn't be too difficult.