Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) has appointed former State Sen. Dan Hegeman (R-Cosby) and former St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (D) to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. Both men will need to be confirmed by the Missouri Senate by the end of January. Hegeman served as the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee chair for several years and fought for funding for rural roads during that time. He joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” from the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel, where he discussed the appointment, the importance of rural road funding and Missouri’s $2.8 billion plan to expand and rebuild I-70 across Missouri:
(LISTEN): State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) discusses massive I-70 project on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) says state transportation officials will begin the state’s $2.8 billion I-70 expansion plan in mid-Missouri. Representative Schulte joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that he expects construction on I-70’s Columbia to Kingdom City stretch to begin this summer. While he knows traffic will be difficult, Representative Schulte says the project must happen. He also has concerns about illegal immigration, and expects that issue to come up during the 2024 session:
(LISTEN): Lawmaker praises MoDOT plan to improve Highway 54 near Jefferson City bridge
Look for smoother driving in the future on busy Highway 54 between Jefferson City’s Missouri River bridge all the way to the Audrain-Callaway county line north of Interstate 70.
State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) tells 939 the Eagle that the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will resurface that entire stretch. Representative Schulte was briefed by MoDOT before Christmas.
“They’re also adding a third lane or another lane between the Missouri River bridge (in Jefferson City) and the Highway 63-94 overpass so that traffic coming out of Jefferson City and going north will have an extra lane to help relieve some of that traffic congestion,” Representative Schulte says.
He also says MoDOT wants to utilize as many Missouri contractors as possible for the $2.8 billion project to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes from St. Louis to Kansas City. He says the agency plans to award a contract in February for I-70’s Columbia to Kingdom City stretch.
“That is what they shared with us in the meeting … that they’re going to try to keep as many of these contracts and jobs in Missouri as they can to help Missourians,” says Schulte.
Representative Schulte’s district includes parts of Fulton as well as Holts Summit, New Bloomfield, Millersburg and Williamsburg.
(LISTEN): Missouri Chamber of Commerce touting I-70 expansion plan
Missouri’s largest business organization is praising the state’s $2.8 billion plan to rebuild and six-lane I-70 from Wentzville to Blue Springs. Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dan Mehan tells 939 the Eagle that it’s historic.
“I-70 is the beltway for the country and it started in Missouri and it’s been far too long since we invested back in it,” Mehan says.
The I-70 project will start in Boone County. Chamber president Mehan says the project will have major economic benefits. He’s praising state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for supporting the bill, and praises GOP Governor Mike Parson for signing it.
“When the Legislature did that, they put a mark for Missouri for the rest of the country saying we will be the logistics and distribution center for not just the region but for the nation and for the continent,” says Mehan.
Numerous state lawmakers from across Missouri joined the governor at the August Columbia bill-signing ceremony. GOP State Reps. Cheri Toalson Reisch (R-Hallsville), Kent Haden (R-Mexico) and Tim Taylor (R-Speed) attended, along with House Assistant Minority Floor Leader Richard Brown (D-Kansas City) Democratic State Reps. Doug Mann, David Tyson Smith and Kathy Steinhoff (all D-Columbia).
(LISTEN): Missouri’s governor highlights economic growth, rail merger and railroad crossings in Columbia speech
Missouri’s governor says the Show-Me State is currently in the running for five projects that are worth at least $2-billion each.
Governor Mike Parson (R) made his comments Friday in Columbia to transportation professionals and state lawmakers at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s transportation future summit. The governor tells 939 the Eagle this highlights his administration’s focus on infrastructure and workforce development.
“We’re in the process of trying to land those companies. A matter fact, we’ll have some meetings in the very near future with some of them. And that’s about all I’m about at liberty to say at this time. But I think again, to even be in the ballpark we’ve never had this opportunity … you got to have everything, you got to have the foundation built for your infrastructure in place before they’re ever going to come here and take a look,” Parson says.
Governor Parson is also touting Missouri’s $2.8 billion plan to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes across Missouri. The I-70 project will begin in Columbia.
The governor is also praising the April merger between Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern, which establishes the first and only single-line transnational railroad linking Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company’s headquarters are in Kansas City, and Governor Parson tells 939 the Eagle that it’s a huge merger for Missouri.
“And you think when we’re talking about distribution anymore which is one of the number one issues across the country as far the economics goes, when you can have direct rail from Canada to Mexico, that’s never happened before,” says Parson.
The governor is also touting the state’s historic $60-million in investment in railroad crossing safety improvements. The investments follow last June’s horrific deadly collision between an Amtrak passenger train and a dump truck near northern Missouri’s Mendon. The crash killed three train passengers and dump truck driver Billy Barton II.
“You know it’s a shame (that) we have an accident like that that brings this to light. But the reality of it is it’s a good thing to that we’re out there and we’re going to try to take care of business,” Parson says.
Numerous state lawmakers from both parties were in attendance on Friday, including State Reps. Josh Hurlbert (R-Smithville), Adrian Plank (D-Columbia) and Gretchen Bangert (D-Florissant).
The governor also tells the audience that Missouri’s five-year statewide transportation improvement program (STIP) was funded at $2.5 billion when he became governor in 2018, and that this year’s STIP is about $14-billion.