Weekly Column for Feb. 7, 2019
Missouri’s vast network of roads and bridges are vital to our economy. If we hope to create great jobs and grow business and industry in our state, we must take care of our crumbling infrastructure now. That’s why I have filed Senate Concurrent Resolution 14. This will allow bonds to be issued to address our infrastructure needs. Traditionally, the Senate president pro tem doesn’t sponsor much legislation, but this issue is a top priority, and our state can’t afford to wait any longer.
Missouri has one of the largest highway systems in the county. However, our state maintains these roads and bridges with one of the lowest levels of state funding. The governor has made investing in our infrastructure a top priority, and I’m proud to do my part to support this in the Missouri Senate.
During his State of the State Address, the governor announced that his plan for infrastructure funding involved $351 million in bonding to complete up to 250 bridge projects. Each of these projects will cost less than $8 million and are spread out across the state. We have 10,385 bridges in Missouri and more than 900 of those bridges are in poor condition and 1,194 are weight restricted. This proposed plan won’t solve all of our infrastructure issues, but it is a step in the right direction. You can see a map of where these bridge projects are located and find more information about MODOT’s plan, here.
SCR 14 expresses support for the issuance of bonds by the Highways and Transportation Commission to pay for the construction and repair of the 250 bridges included in the governor’s plan. These bonds may not total an amount of more than $351 million, and the debt associated with these projects will be paid with future General Revenue appropriations.
This week, the Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee held a public hearing on SCR 14. Organizations such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Missouri Farm Bureau came from across the state to testify in favor of the resolution. There were no organizations present that testified in opposition. I am confident the committee will approve the resolution next week and send it to floor of the Missouri Senate for further consideration.
These are the projects that would take place in our district:
- Bridge Rehabilitation on Rte. 47 and Rte. 30 over IS 44;
- Bridge Replacement over Happy Sac Creek;
- Bridge Replace over Calvey Creek; and
- Louis County STIP Projects will be accelerated.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (573) 751-3678 or by email at dave.schatz@senate.mo.gov if you have any questions.