Only Half of MoDOT's Construction Funds Approved

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission approved the new state 5-year construction program at $600 million a year instead of at $1.2 billion a year.

There is enough money to care for the existing road system but Missouri residents will see few new projects to improve safety or expand the highway system, The Missouri Department of Transportation said in a news release on Wednesday.

"We have fallen off a cliff," MoDOT Director Kevin Keith said. The decline in funds jeopardized Missouri jobs, an improved roads and bridge systems and increased safety.

"We will continue to honor our commitments and maintain the condition of our roads and bridges to the best of our ability for as long as we can, but without additional resources our system will eventually get worse,” he said.

Eventually MoDOT lack the state money for millions of federal matching dollars, the news release said. The federal funding for transportation projects requires states to match a percentage of project costs.

MoDOT will cut internal costs and direct remaining money to the care of existing roads and bridges.

"These cost savings are just a temporary fix, they do not solve our funding situation in the long term," Keith said. 

MoDOT will be unable to provide new roads and bridges for the state’s economic development, improve existing transportation corridors or replace major bridges,” Keith said.