New figures from the Missouri Dept. of Transportation (MoDOT) show that 86% of the state’s busiest roads are now in good condition.
MoDOT says road conditions in the Show Me State have improved steadily since 2004, when only 47% of its highways were good. That year, Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, which redirected revenue to roads and bridges.
“People tell me they know when they drive into Missouri because the roads get better. They used to tell me it was because the roads got worse,” MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said.
MoDOT used the additional funding to make 2,200 miles of the state’s most heavily traveled roads smoother and safer, to accelerate 55 construction projects that are now complete and to tackle 97 new projects that were originally years down the road.
We have used the additional money from Amendment 3 to deliver smoother, safer roads on time and within budget,” Rahn said.
Another factor contributing to the improved road conditions is MoDOT’s Better Roads, Brighter Future program. Under this initiative, hundreds of miles of heavily traveled roads are getting smoother surfaces, wider stripes, brighter signs and paved shoulders.
However, Rahn said it will be difficult to keep state highways in good condition as funding for transportation decreases dramatically in the years ahead.
