I-64 St. Louis Project Getting National Attention

The I-64 St. Louis Project is now a grand prize finalist for the 2010 America’s Transportation Awards competition. Vote today!

Maybe the best two things a DOT can announce to the public for a completed project is: On time and under budget. These two goals are vital because it means money isn’t getting wasted and the impact to drivers was decreased from initial plans. When the I-64 St. Louis project finished on time and under budget back in December of 2009, it pleased many Missouri drivers, but now it has also impressed national transportation experts.

The I-64 St. Louis Project is now a grand prize finalist for the 2010 America’s Transportation Awards competition. Earlier this year transportation experts from across the country judged more than 40 entries from 29 states in the categories of on-time, under budget, innovative management and best recovery act project. The I-64 St. Louis project won first place in the Midwest region in the under budget category. Winners from each region and category were then narrowed down to an overall top 10 and the I-64 St. Louis project made the list! www.americastransportationaward.org

It’s easy to see why national transportation experts loved the I-64 St. Louis project. It was the largest highway improvement in Missouri history, yet reopened one month early and $11 million under budget. All project goals were met or exceeded despite limited funds, limited space and the need to limit the impact of construction. The project closed portions of I-64 for two years, but survey results show 95 percent of Missourians were satisfied with how the work was handled. www.thenewi64.org

As a top ten finalist the I-64 St. Louis project is now in the running for the grand prize and the people’s choice award. The grand prize will be chosen by a team of national transportation experts and the people’s choice award will determined through online voting. Online voting starts today and continues through October 18, 2010… so we encourage you to vote! It would be amazing if the I-64 St. Louis project won both awards and we would love your help! You can vote by visiting www.modot.org and clicking on the America’s Transportation Awards banner found on the top of MoDOT’s homepage. The winners of both awards will be announced October 31, 2010 and will receive $10,000 to go towards a charity or scholarship.

Go vote!

Working Like There's Snow Tomorrow

This weekend the temperatures are supposed to hit 75 in mid-Missouri, which makes me think of an end-of-season barbecue, mowing the lawn, taking a long walk outside and of course snow. Snow? Really? I know, it doesn’t make much sense, but as all Missourians know, the weather in our state can be quite unpredictable, so MoDOT crews prepare all equipment and supplies by Nov. 1 for the first snowfall.

And while we all hope the bad weather holds off for a while, we must prepare or suffer dire consequences. In 2008, 30 people were killed, 322 seriously injured and 2,536 received minor injuries in traffic crashes when there was snow, ice or slush on the roadway. Driving too fast for conditions and inattention were the top contributing factors in traffic crashes during the winter months last year.

And while our crews are out on the roads at all hours of the day, seven days a week when necessary to keep our roads safe, it is also the motorist’s job to drive cautiously, pay extra attention to signs and drive defensively.

MoDOT provides a traveler information map at www.modot.org/ with current road conditions to help drivers determine when it’s safe to travel. The map shows which roads are covered, partly covered, and clear.

For information on road conditions across the state, safe traveling tips and a diagram on driveway clearing techniques, visit www.modot.org/ or call 888-ASK MODOT. Recorded road-condition information is available at (800) 222-6400.

What Lies Beneath

Why do highways need to be rebuilt? This video shows you what lies beneath, and why highways eventually need more than a facelift.

New State Transportation Program Presents Uncertain Future

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's proposed five-year transportation improvement program includes good news - many new projects will be built next year, and bad news - ahead is little money for more than taking care of the existing system.

Significant highway and bridge improvements in the first year of the program can be attributed to funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Funding for the new Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis is also included.

However, by 2011, transportation funding drops by more than half and will continue to fall to only one-third of the 2010 amount in subsequent years. At this point, the Missouri Department of Transportation will struggle to keep existing highways in good shape and will have few dollars to build new roads, bridges or other transportation facilities.

"Stimulus money has helped delay falling off the funding cliff by about 12 to 18 months, but we will still fall off that cliff, and the consequences will be a transportation system that is getting worse instead of better," MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said. "Missourians must have a conversation about the future of transportation in our state."

The draft 2010-2014 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program lists all transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2014). It totals $6.5 billion, with approximately $4.91 billion going to 658 highway and bridge projects, about $960 million to other transportation modes and approximately $660 million to local transportation programs.

"We use a transparent and extensive public involvement process to develop this program, and we have worked with our planning partners from communities around the state to identify and prioritize these new projects," Rahn said.

The proposed program is available for public review beginning May 6. Citizens interested in seeing the program or offering comments can contact MoDOT's customer service centers at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636). The program is also available on MoDOT's Web site - http://www.modot.org/ - and at MoDOT's district offices around the state. The formal public comment period ends June 5.

Following the public review, the comments will be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. The commission will review the comments and the final transportation program before considering it for approval July 8.

The draft 2010-2014 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program includes transportation improvements identified by metropolitan planning organizations in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, Jefferson City, Joplin and St. Joseph. The STIP projects located in these areas are subject to discussion and approval by the appropriate metropolitan planning organization.

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Truckers Say Missouri Roads are Fifth Best in the Nation

JEFFERSON CITY - Truck drivers have voted Missouri roads as the fifth best in the nation. They also voted Interstate 44 as the fourth most improved highway segment in a tie with Interstate 94 in Illinois. The rankings came from a recent survey conducted by Overdrive magazine, a publication serving the commercial motor carrier industry.

"It wasn't too long ago - 2005 - that our roads ranked second worst in this same survey, and I-44 was named one of the three worst highways in the country," Missouri Department of Transportation Director Pete Rahn said. "We've worked hard to improve our highways in just a few short years, and it's showing. It's great to be recognized by professional drivers who know firsthand what's going on out there on the roads and how important it is to invest in them."
Rahn cited the passage of Constitutional Amendment 3 in November 2004 as one of the key reasons for Missouri's ability to improve its highway system. That measure redirected some highway user funds to MoDOT and allowed the agency to tackle record amounts of construction work in the past few years. As a result, 78 percent of Missouri's major roads are now in good condition.

Rahn also said the agency has begun to focus its efforts on improving the state's transportation system as a whole over the long term, rather than on individual projects.
"It's much more efficient for us to look at the overall picture when we make transportation decisions," Rahn said.

Now the challenge is to keep Missouri roads in good condition, Rahn said. State and federal revenues that fund highway construction and maintenance are lagging because of declining motor vehicle sales and fuel use, while the costs of doing business continue to increase.

Best Roads (from Overdrive Magazine)
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Georgia, Tennessee (tie)
4. Ohio
5. Missouri

Most Improved Highway Segment
1. I-80, Pennsylvania
2. I-40, Arkansas
3. I-10, Louisiana
4. I-94, Illinois; I-44, Missouri (tie)
5. 1-75, Georgia