The Missouri Department of Transportation unveiled its largest infrastructure improvement plan ever Wednesday.
The draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) outlines planned MoDOT projects through 2027. Using increased revenue from the state gas tax and federal infrastructure investments, the five-year statewide improvement plan totals $7.65 billion for contractor awards.
"It's pretty exciting stuff," said Eric Curtit, transportation planning director at MoDOT.
Basing project selection on available resources and funding, the department worked with regional planning partners to identify 767 new projects, totaling $3.3 billion, to add to the STIP, Curtit said.
Of the 767 new projects, 707 are asset management, 30 are system improvement projects and 30 are other projects. The draft STIP also includes 48 new multimodal projects: 10 are aviation-related, 18 are rail-related, 15 are focused on waterways and five address freight.
In fiscal year 2023 alone, MoDOT is looking to spend nearly $1.9 billion, according to the draft STIP.
The budget for next fiscal year, which begins July 1, consists of $1.6 billion for road and bridge improvements, $567 million for operations and maintenance, $220 million for local and other programs, and $132 million for the department's multimodal program. Another $250 million of MoDOT funds are designated for road and bridge design.
Commissioner Tom Waters with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission said it's exciting to see a larger budget and more projects, because it wasn't too long ago the department was offering up a five-year plan with zero new projects.
"We're moving forward, and we're doing great things," Waters said.
Twenty-eight projects were deleted off the STIP from last year, Curtit said, as they were deemed no longer a priority by public partners, the work was incorporated into other jobs or the project was split up into new projects.
Although the latest draft STIP is unprecedented, Curtit said the department followed its regular process of working with community planning partners to select projects, discuss needs and find solutions with available resources.
"Just like politics, transportation is local. They know best," Curtit said. "Nine times out of 10, these folks know they would pick the same thing we would so we engage them in our planning framework process to develop the STIP."
With its current funding, Curtit said MoDOT should meet its goals of maintaining major routes at 90 percent in good condition, minor routes at 80 percent in good condition and low volume roads at 70 percent in good condition.
MoDOT maintains an expansive transportation system that incorporates 34,000 miles of major routes, minor routes and low volume roads and 10,400 bridges.
Major routes, such as interstate highways, make up 5,500 miles of the system and carry 76 percent of all traffic. Minor routes make up 17,500 miles of the system and carry 22 percent of traffic. Low volume roads make up 11,000 miles and carry 2 percent of travel.
MoDOT doesn't typically incorporate low volume roads in its STIP, Curtit said, but the draft STIP includes $84,876 through 2025 to help address the condition discrepancy between road categories. Another $43,000 is being dedicated for low volume roads from the department's operating budget.
Although about 74 percent of the draft STIP is asset management projects, MoDOT is also putting a heavier focus on system improvement compared to previous years.
Capital improvement projects on Missouri's infrastructure make up 20 percent of the draft STIP, which is more than double what the department included in the previous plan. The previous STIP touched 14,474 miles of pavement and 856 bridges and the latest draft reaches 17,757 miles of roadway and 1,064 bridges.
"You can see how the increase in revenues has resulted in an increased investment in infrastructure, which we're very pleased to see," Curtit said.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission would typically approve the draft STIP to move forward for a public comment period, but it wasn't recommended for action Wednesday.
The Legislature hasn't approved the budget and there are some initiatives, like the gas tax repeal or holiday, still being worked out in the final days of the session, all of which could upend the department's funding and ability to complete planned projects.
"I think it's wise to hold off for a couple weeks, make sure that the policy makers who are working hard to defend and protect the resources that were made available by the last legislative session, remain in our plan," MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said. "And as soon as that's known, we will bring this forward for action."
Commissioner Gregg Smith said approval of the draft STIP is one of the most important actions the commission takes because it shows a commitment to taxpayers that the department has a plan for spending money. He said he looks forward to approving it soon.
McKenna said the department will approach the commission with the draft STIP after the end of session May 13 and then put the plan out for public comment. The commission is expected to give final approval of the STIP around the usual time in July.