Road, bridge task force to convene

Employees of Boone Construction Co. work on the MoDOT Route B project on June 19, 2017, starting at the intersection of Lorenzo Greene Drive in Cole County and concluding at Route 133 in Meta.
Employees of Boone Construction Co. work on the MoDOT Route B project on June 19, 2017, starting at the intersection of Lorenzo Greene Drive in Cole County and concluding at Route 133 in Meta.

A 23-member task force will begin working this week to solve a decades-old problem in Missouri's aging transportation infrastructure.

The 21st Century Transportation System Task Force, established by the General Assembly this spring, will look for ways to improve Missouri's roads and bridges during the next six months. It will have until Jan. 1 to recommend solutions to the Legislature.

The task force is comprised of people from the private and public sector including:

10 lawmakers - Rep. Kevin Corlew, R-Kansas City; Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City; Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Neosho; Rep. Joe Runions, D-Kansas City; Rep. Nate Tate, R-St. Clair; Sen. Shalonn Kiki Curls, D-Kansas City; Sen. Bill Eigel, R-St. Charles; Sen. Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis; Sen. Caleb Rowden, D-Columbia; and Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan

  • Rob Dixon, director of Economic Development
  • Patrick McKenna, director of Department of Transportation
  • Sandra Karsten, superintendent of Missouri Highway Patrol
  • Gov. Eric Greitens
  • Nine private citizens, including Steve Halter, David Hogan, Gretchen Ivy, Gwen Moore, Michael Pace, Craig Porter and Thomas P. Schneider. Two more citizens are to be named.

Corlew will chair the task force and said including people from different areas will help develop better solutions.

"We're bringing together the legislative branch, executive branch and the private sector to find a viable solution," he said. "I think they will all bring their unique perspectives to the table, which will give us a basis for informed decision making."

The group will meet on a monthly basis in different areas across the state, including Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia.

Corlew said the goal of the task force is to understand the current state of roads and bridges and what resources are needed to improve them. While Missouri has the seventh largest highway system in the nation, it ranks 47th in revenue per mile.

Possible solutions for increasing revenue include raising the gas tax or creating toll roads. Missouri has one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation, which hasn't been increased since 1996. Legislators have also discussed using current revenues more efficiently to solve the problem.

Razer said funding roads and bridges should be a nonpartisan issue.

"If we can't even build roads and bridges anymore, then what are we doing in Jefferson City?" Razer said. "If we want decent roads and bridges, we're going to have to come together and figure out a way to pay for it."

Razer proposed an amendment to a bill earlier this spring that would have increased the gas tax by nearly 6 cents per gallon, but that measure failed. The Missouri Constitution currently does not give the Department of Transportation the authority to build toll roads, so that option would require additional work by the Legislature.

One of the private citizens serving on the task force is Steve Halter, director of economic development in Butler County. Halter has more than 10 years of experience in the industry.

"I have always been involved in transportation issues in our area," Halter said. "Having good infrastructure for our state is vitally important to economic development."

Halter currently is involved in an effort to extend Interstate 57 in southeast Missouri to U.S. 67 in Arkansas. With such an expansive highway system in Missouri, Halter said, the task force will need to prioritize on which roads to focus.

"I think we have to go with the roads that have the greatest needs first, but then have a long-term fix for all highways of concern," Halter said. "I am honored to be part of the solution and am optimistic that we will come up with a good plan."

The task force will hold its first meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Capitol.