Missouri’s High Priority Unfunded Needs
Date Posted: August 24, 2023
Posted In: News, Projects,
Missouri’s transportation system is a tremendous asset to the citizens of Missouri. The system consists of 33,808 miles of roads and 10,424 bridges, both of which rank among the largest for any state in the nation. The Missouri Department of Transportation working with its statewide regional planning partners have identified $1.1 billion in annual unfunded needs.
From the broader unfunded needs, MoDOT has developed a High Priority Unfunded Needs list to guide the development of projects into funded projects as state and federal transportation funds increase.
Message from Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna
Missouri’s transportation system is a tremendous asset made up of 33,808 miles of roads and 10,424 bridges. The system ranks among the largest for any state in the nation. On average, Missouri drivers pay $32 per month in fuel taxes and fees to fund the maintenance and improvements to this asset. Over the last 10 years, Missourians have invested in 4,430 projects totaling $10.8 billion to maintain and improve the system.
Looking forward, $10.4 billion is estimated to be available for needs over the next five years for additional improvements. Including design and project development costs, the FY 2024-2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program totals nearly $14 billion, the largest in state history, with more than 1,500 projects.
Last year, working with the Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Regional Planning Commissions, we moved 14 needs worth $3 billion from the unfunded list to the FY2024-2028 STIP. This included a historic $2.8 billion investment in the widening and reconstruction of Interstate 70 using General Revenue funds and bonds.
As we start our annual planning process with our regional partners, we know there are still unfunded needs. MoDOT’s publication, The Citizen’s Guide to Transportation Funding in Missouri, identifies $1.1 billion in annual unfunded transportation needs. The challenge is determining the optimal needs to fund that provide the greatest return on investment to taxpayers.
For this year’s unfunded priorities, we’ve generated lists of $4.7 billion in road and bridge needs in three tiers. Tier one includes $552 million and includes needs we could accomplish in the time of the current five-year STIP as federal and state funding is available. These needs have more refined estimates. Tier two is worth $2.1 billion and includes needs beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. Tier three includes $2 billion of needs also beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. In addition, DOT staff worked with the planning partners to identify $1 billion in multimodal needs.
The High Priority Unfunded Needs list provides direction for future years’ STIP development. The collaboration across the state is critical to get future needs in the right tier of prioritization so MoDOT is ready to respond as federal and state transportation funding becomes available.