Missouri Governor Parson Proposes Bridges Repair Funding
Earlier this month Missouri Governor Mike Parson visited 5 of the 250 bridges scheduled for immediate repair or replacement if his administration’s proposed funding program is passed by the Missouri General Assembly this year.
On Wednesday, February 13, Governor Parson visited bridges in Kansas City and Hannibal as part of his “Focus on Bridges” proposal. Missouri has 922 bridges in poor condition throughout the state, and the Governor’s proposal would accelerate the repair or replacement of 250 of those bridges, in turn freeing up funding for additional transportation projects across the entire state.
The proposal would enable the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Office of Administration to enter a financing agreement to fund 250 bridge projects which are bridges that are already programmed for repair or replacement in the state’s current five-year construction program. The proposal is set up to supplement existing transportation revenue with general revenue to pay off the debt.
According to the Governor, accelerating 250 bridge projects and freeing additional funding for statewide transportation projects will create jobs throughout the state and boost the state’s economy.
Missouri has 10,385 bridges on the state highway system which is the sixth most in the nation. Of that total, 922 are in poor condition, and 1,194 are weight restricted and 450 fall into both categories.