A 22-page report says the poor condition of Mid-Missouri roads costs area drivers more than $1,300 each year in additional vehicle operating costs, congestion-caused lost time and wasted fuel and the financial cost of traffic crashes.
And statewide, the report estimates the total costs at $4.5 billion.
"It shouldn't be a surprise that these facts and figures in this report really show a decline in what the transportation system is and what it's going to be," Central District Engineer Dave Silvester told a Thursday morning news conference, "and that's really rooted in the financial status of the funding that we have in Mid-Missouri."
The Missouri-specific report was prepared by the Washington, D.C.-based TRIP - formerly known as "The Road Information Project" - which bills itself as a "national transportation research group."
The report includes specific numbers for drivers in the Jefferson City, Springfield, Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
"Jefferson City" includes Cole, Callaway, Moniteau and Osage counties, TRIP's Carolyn Bonifas Kelly said.
Kelly, who lives in Dubuque, Iowa, told the news conference: "According to the TRIP report, two-thirds of major roads in the Jefferson City area are in either poor or mediocre condition, (costing) the average Jefferson City driver over $700 annually (in) accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional tire wear and maintenance costs."
Statewide, she said, 23 percent of bridges "are structurally deficient, which means that there is significant deterioration to some of the major components of the bridge," or "functionally obsolete, which means they no longer meet modern design standards."
Kelly said the report is based on statistics compiled by state and federal officials.
The numbers are not an indictment of the work done by MoDOT or local transportation agencies, she said.
"They are doing a tremendous job with the funds they have available," Kelly reported. "Without additional transportation funding at the local, state and federal levels, Missouri's transportation system will continue to deteriorate and become crowded and congested."
Thursday's news conference began just a half-hour after the state Senate renewed its debate on raising the state's fuels tax, which has been at 17 cents a gallon for both gasoline and diesel fuels since 1996.
Roberta Broeker, MoDOT's chief financial officer and, as of today, the interim department director, said inflation means 17 cents really is more like 8 cents in today's economy.
Len Toenjes, president of Missouri's Associated General Contractors, called the TRIP report "a reality check" of a road system where accidents have killed more than 4,000 people over the last five years.
Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, had proposed a 2 cents per gallon tax increase, starting next Jan. 1.
Toenjes called the 2 cents proposal "ridiculous ... for 4,000 fatalities. But it's reality."
Several hours after Thursday's news conference ended, the Senate gave its first-round approval to raising the tax by 1.5 cents a gallon for gasoline and 3.5 cents a gallon for diesel fuel, which primarily is used by trucks.
Toenjes said the contractors normally hired to build and repair Missouri's roads and bridges "don't have any confidence in what's going on in the state of Missouri" and, although they aren't going out of business, "they are going out of state, to Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois (and) everywhere else where they can perform and provide jobs."
Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce President Randy Allen said: "In addition to the quality of workforce, good transportation infrastructure is always in the top three considerations of companies moving or expanding in your community.
"Our fear is that our elected officials will continue to let the condition of our system deteriorate until it is far more costly and time-consuming to repair than it would be if we invested now."
Dan Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, added: "Transportation needs to be viewed as an asset for this state."
He added the small tax increase lawmakers debated is just "a triage to get us to the next level - we've got to do better than that."
Silvester said the information really isn't new.
"We've been talking about what we call the "cliff' for many years," he said. "That cliff has come, and it's gone, and we're there - we're working in it now.
"That under-investment has consequences to our system. We talk about deterioration of roads (and) bridges - bridges will close."
And roads deemed to be "not safe enough" also may have to be closed, Silvester said.