The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved a $10 billion plan for building and maintaining roads and bridges for the next five years.
$7.65 billion is budgeted for road and bridge construction contractor awards thanks to the 2023-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which approves federal and state funding for all modes of transportation. It breaks down to approximately $1.5 billion per year for the next five years.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) estimates an annual average of $1.4 billion in federal reimbursement from fiscal year 2023 to 2027. These funds come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
The plan reviews project priorities and state and federal revenue sources. It states that 73% of every dollar MODOT receives is from motor fuel taxes, but other sources of state revenue include motor vehicle sales tax, vehicle and driver licensing fees and interest earned on investments.
MODOT estimates $647 million in motor fuel tax revenue in fiscal year 2023, increasing to $814 million in 2026.
The report states the gas tax revenue will decline after 2026 “as we expect Missourians will turn to more fuel-efficient vehicles due to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards that reduce energy consumption by increasing the fuel economy of vehicles. While good for the environment, these actions erode motor fuel tax revenues.”
Approximately $100 million is from the Governor’s Rural Route Program, appropriated to address the state’s low-volume roads in fiscal year 2023.
“Just a few years ago, our 2016 STIP made available a fraction of this program with only $2.6 billion,” Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said in a statement. “The new STIP—our largest to date—is quite an achievement that has taken the collective efforts of policymakers, state leaders and the leadership of the commission, which has held firm on the need for resources to do the projects our citizens expect us to do. By working with planning partners across the state and listening to the needs of the communities we serve, we’ve made these plans to take care of this massive system.”
The plan focuses on preventive maintenance improvements to approximately 34,000 miles of roads and 10,400 bridges. The plan stated that 823 bridges in the state are currently in poor condition, and 961 are weight restricted. Approximately 119 additional bridges will be classified as poor due each year due to aging infrastructure. The plan makes investments in approximately 1,064 bridges with a goal of keeping the number of bridges in poor condition below 900.
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Source: MODOT
