During this month’s quarterly meeting, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the FY 2024-2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies between July 1 of this year and June 30, 2028.
The five-year program includes funding from General Revenue – passed by the Missouri General Assembly and signed by Gov. Mike Parson – to widen and improve I-70, fix low-volume minor roads and upgrade railroad safety crossings, including 41 projects impacting the greater West Plains area within a 60-mile radius.
Projects are approved for seven routes and a bridge in Douglas County, including one route project that begins in Christian County; 10 routes and three bridges in Howell County, including signal improvements in West Plains; three routes and four bridges in Oregon County; a route and bridge each in Ozark County; a route and two bridges in Shannon County; and five routes and three bridges in Texas County.
The STIP makes available nearly $14 billion of federal and state revenues for all modes of transportation over the next five years, making it the largest program ever, said state officials. Of the $14 billion, the draft STIP details $10.4 billion in road and bridge construction contractor awards, averaging about $2.1 billion per year.
“This STIP is not immune to the ongoing record inflation and increasing cost of doing transportation improvements. In fact, this program accounts for $1.2 billion in inflation impacts, which would equate to a year’s worth of funding in previous programs,” said MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna. “To manage these fiscal constraints, this program didn’t add a significant number of projects. We had to adjust the schedules on nearly 400 projects to manage the funding availability each year. We’ll continue our asset management efforts while also making critical improvements and upgrades to corridors and safety features across the state.”
In Douglas County, pavement resurfacing is planned for T Highway from Highway 76 west of Ava to UU Highway in Christian County, budgeted for fiscal year 2028. In 2026, the same work planned for Highway 14 from Highway 181 south to U.S. 63, and also on Highway 14 in 2027, from Z Highway to Highway 5. The bridge over Indian Creek on Highway 76 is budgeted for rehabilitation in 2027.
Resurfacing is planned from Business Highway 5 in Ava to Highway 181, including three bridges on that route, in 2028, as well as on the Business Highway 5 loop itself. Also in 2028, Highway 76 from Highway 5 in Ava to Highway 181 planned to be resurfaced, including two bridges, and Highway 95 from Highways 76 to 14 will be resurfaced.
Budgeted bridge projects in Howell County include replacing the railroad overpass on Highway 137 in Willow Springs, planned for 2026; the bridge on Highway 142 over Myatt Creek east of Lanton, planned for 2027; and the bridge over the South Fork of the Spring River on JJ Highway west of South Fork.
Pavement resurfacing projects budgeted for Howell County in 2026 are U.S. 63 from U.S. 60 to just north of P Highway in Pomona; DD Highway in Willow Springs from Highway 137 east to the end of state maintenance; WW Highway in Mtn. View south from Highway 17 to the end of state maintenance; ; U.S. 160 in West Plains from County Road 6070 to U.S. 63; and Highway 17 in West Plains from U.S. 63 south to the Arkansas state line. Traffic signal replacements are also budgeted for that year at the Broadway intersections with Missouri Avenue and Porter Wagoner Boulevard in West Plains.
In 2027, projects are budgeted to resurface Highway 142 from E Highway at Moody east to Business U.S. 63 in Thayer, Oregon County, and ZZ highway from U.S. 63 in West Plains east to the end of state maintenance. JJ Highway is planned to be resurfaced in 2028, from U.S. 160 west of West Plains south to the Arkansas state line.
A project expected to be awarded in September this year involves resurfacing U.S. 160 from U.S. 63 in West Plains east to Highway 99 at Thomasville in Oregon County. This project includes the addition of rumble strips from Allen Street in West Plains to Highway 99, and a southbound turn lane at St. Louis Street/BB Highway in West Plains. Two bridges will be resurfaced as part of this project.
Oregon County bridge projects include a replacement on Highway 142 over the Eleven Point River at Billmore. In that project, the road is expected to be raised from the bridge east six-tenths of a mile. Replacements are also planned for U.S. 160 over Cox Creek in 2026 and over Barren Fork Creek in 2028, and Highway 19 over the Eleven Point River in 2027.
Pavement resurfacing is budgeted for 2027 on AA Highway from Highway 19 at Alton east to the end of state maintenance, and in 2028 on U.S. 160 from FF Highway near Alton east to Highway 21 in Doniphan.
The two Ozark County projects are a bridge washing over Bull Shoals Lake on U.S. 160, planned for 2025, and pavement resurfacing on PP Highway at Tecumseh from Highway H to U.S. 160, in 2028.
In Shannon County, budgeted projects include a bridge replacement on Highway 19 over Hurricane Creek next year, and over Spring Valley in 2026. In 2024, a pavement preservation treatment has been budgeted for Highway 19 from U.S. 60 in Winona to U.S. 160 in Alton.
Texas County bridge projects include bridges on Highway 137 over Big Creek, 22 miles north of Willow Springs, and over Pine Creek about 6.4 miles north of Willow Springs, and over the South Prong of Jack’s Fork about 10 miles northeast of Willow Springs, all planned for 2025.
Pavement resurfacing projects include Highway 17 from Highway 38 near Houston to U.S. 63, budgeted for next year; U.S. 63 in Houston from E Highway to B Highway, B Highway from U.S. 63 in Houston east to the end of state maintenance, and Highway 137 from Highway 17 in Cabool to Business U.S. 60 in Willow Springs, planned for 2027; and K Highway from Highway 17 at Summersville north to KK Highway at Hartshorn.
Officials note the program details maintenance improvements to Missouri’s nearly 34,000 miles of roads and 10,400 bridges, noting the draft STIP was released in June for public review, and MoDOT received 72 comments.
The STIP also includes detailed project information for nonhighway modes of transportation and a section detailing planned operations and maintenance activities for the next three years. This additional information is provided to allow Missourians to more easily see how their transportation funding is invested.
The final STIP is available online at www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip.
