LETTERS: HANDLING OF I-55 INTERCHANGES RAISES QUESTIONS

To the editor:

The Cape Girardeau County Commission's deliberations on the proposed Oak Ride and Jackson I-55 interchanges are a striking deviation from the standard process of approving and scheduling federally funded highway construction projects.

In Missouri the Highways and Transportation Commission is responsible for approving and scheduling these projects. As part of this process, the commission solicits local community input, including that of affected landowners and county and municipal officials, but holding public hearings. After the commission approves a project by this process, the project may, depending on the amount of funds available, be included in the program of road improvements which the commission submits to the Legislature for appropriation.

The Oak Ridge I-55 interchange has completed the process to this point. Now, however, the highway commission has asked the county commission to decided whether or not the Oak Ridge interchange should be taken off the schedule in order to fast-track the Jackson interchange.

This action raises some serious questions: Why is this the first time the county commission has been asked to decide between two projects? Why is this the only project about of more than 10 projects in the county that is being submitted to the county commission? Why is an approved project being weighed against one that hasn't been approved by the highway commission? What data can the county collect that the highway commission cannot? Won't this result in a longer, more complicated approval process for federally funded projects?

The highway commission should answer these questions before they deviate from their established procedures.

JANET M. SMITH

Oak Ridge