Voters need more details of highway plans

Missouri Department of Transportation officials and others backing Proposition B -- the proposed tax increases for transportation to be voted on during the August primary election -- have a daunting task in convincing voters to approve the proposal.

The General Assembly approved and sent to voters a funding proposal that would raise approximately half a billion dollars a year. The plan consists of a half-cent increase in the state sales tax and a 4 cent increase in the motor-fuel tax at the pump.

Such a measure is difficult to pass under any circumstances, but add in a war on terrorists and an economy just now emerging from recession -- not to mention MoDOT's problems over the last decade -- and the task is more challenging still.

The effort to pass Proposition B can only be helped by greater specificity as to what projects will be built if voters do back it. There are some early signs that MoDOT officials understand this. They are preparing to announce region-by-region lists of the projects to be completed if voters say yes.

Thus far, the projects mentioned as most likely for Southeast Missouri include four-laning a portion of U.S. 60 and improvements for U.S. 412 in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties.

It is safe to say it will take more of a Show-Me demonstration than that to persuade Southeast Missouri voters to go for the taxes.

MoDOT officials say funds will be available for other projects as well, and some local projects that would attract attention in the Cape Girardeau area, for example, could well be added to the to-do list as funding from the proposed tax increases becomes available.

Among them are a couple of projects that would upgrade access between Cape Girardeau and Scott City. Another might be the East Main Street interchange on I-55 being sought by Jackson officials.

Voters will want to know some of these specifics before they vote in August. It will be up to the Highways and Transportation Commission to provide the details.