Lake of the Ozarks area officials met with the public and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) employees last week to draft a wish list of transportation improvement projects should a proposed statewide sales-tax increase for transportation needs become a reality.
MoDOT and the Lake Area Council of Local Governments, which includes officials from Camden, Laclede, Miller and Morgan counties and several lake area towns, discussed a list of more than 120 suggested projects that included roadways, recreational trails, sidewalks, airports, railroads and public transportation.
The meeting was just one of several the group has held over the past months in order to obtain public input into what projects they would like MoDOT to undertake should voters approve a 1-cent sales tax increase.
House Joint Resolution 68, currently making its way through the General Assembly, would place the sales tax question on the November ballot. If the bill, sponsored by state Rep. Dave Hinson, R-St Clair, passes and is approved by voters, the new sales tax would begin on Jan. 1, 2015, and sunset after 10 years unless voters approved its continuation.
MoDOT estimates the tax increase would raise an additional $700 million in annual revenue. The bill stipulates 90 percent of the revenue would go to MoDOT with 5 percent going to Missouri's 114 counties and another 5 percent to municipalities.
Presiding Commissioner Kris Franken estimated Camden County's share of the new revenue would be about $600,000 annually.
Now that the group has received public input on projects, county commissioners will review the individual lists to prioritize the projects. Once the projects have been ranked at the county level, the group will meet with transportation officials and other groups from around mid-Missouri to determine a final list for MoDOT's Central District.
Some of the suggested lake area projects to be prioritized are:
In Camden County
• Extending Highway 242 across the Lake of the Ozarks community bridge to Highway 5 in Sunrise Beach.
• Widening Highway 5 to four lanes from Camdenton to Morgan County line.
• Extending the Osage Beach Parkway from its current west end to state Route Y west of the city.
• Widening U.S. Highway 54 to four lanes west of Camdenton.
• Adding sidewalks in a number of locations throughout the county.
• Bringing railway service to the lake area.
• Building biking/hiking trails between a number of lake towns.
• Improving senior transportation services.
• Improvements to both the Camdenton and Lee C Fine airports.
In Miller County
• Adding turn lanes to business highways 54 and 52 within the city of Eldon.
• Extend public works snow removal throughout the county.
• Improve the junction of highways 42 and 17 in Iberia.
• Add shoulders and rumble strips to Highway 87.
• Building bike path between Eldon and Jefferson City.
• Making all sidewalks in Eldon compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Improvements to the Eldon Airport.
In Morgan County
• Extend the Highway 5 center turn lane through Laurie to Highway 135 junction.
• Add shoulders to Highway 135 from Laurie to Stover.
• Signage improvements throughout the Highway 5 corridor.
• New ADA compliant sidewalks in Laurie and Versailles.
• Widen Highway 5 to four lanes from Versailles to Camden County line.
• Build biking/hiking trails throughout Versailles.
• Improvements to the Versailles Airport.