Representatives with Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC,) Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT,) Dent County Commission, and the City of Salem came together on Thursday, Oct. 16, to have an annual conversation on the transportation needs of Dent County.
MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge, Planning Manager Anne Freand and MoDOT’s Meramec Area Engineer Preston Kramer were in attendance. Also in attendance were City of Salem’s Economic Development Director Carrie Sutterfield and City Administrator Sally Burbridge.
“We come out to each of our counties in our county region, and we keep a list of transportation needs on the state highway system,” explained Prigge. “Our job today is to look at this list and see if there’s any needs that we have missed or need to be added.”
The annual meeting is to ensure all the most pressing transportation needs are updated on the list. These needs are regularly consulted by both MRPC and MoDOT and used to prioritize funding. As explained by Kramer, the list is a living document—meaning, the list is constantly shifting based off of community feedback.
“We will compile those top priority needs in our county, and we'll have a ranking of those, and then that's what we share with MoDOT for consideration in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) each year,” Prigge summarized.
When projects are entered into the STIP, the project is then seen as an obligation to the public and will be funded and completed, said Kramer. To view all currently active projects within Missouri, view the interactive STIP map available at https://www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip. Planning partners, like MRPC, help to determine what projects can fit into STIP next when there’s revenue available.
“Here in Missouri, we have the seventh largest transportation system in the country—but we rank 48th in funding,” said Kramer, explaining the constraints of MoDOT. The vast majority of the revenue received by MoDOT, further explained Kramer, goes toward road maintenance.
Bridge No. G0537 over Standing Rock Creek has been at the top of the list for a long time, but it was finally able to be removed as the bridge has been completed.
Kramer further expanded on the issues facing Route TT, especially this past spring. He shared that it not only was washed out but equipment was lost to flood waters, including an excavator and Bobcat.
“We are also pursuing federal funding to possibly put a bridge there,” said Kramer.
Prigge shared that MoDOT has submitted an application to the Federal Land Access Program (FLAP) in pursuit of possible funding, as the estimation to fund the project is $2 million. Areas around the state, explained Freand, that are adjacent to federal lands are able to apply for grants to improve roadways.
“There’s more needs than there is funding,” said Kramer. “I don’t think we’ll be successful with this FLAP application, but we are trying other avenues as well.”
Meanwhile, last year’s second priority of the bridge over the West Fork of the Huzzah, near Boss, has been added to the STIP for FY27, said Kramer. Similarly, the bridge over Spring Creek on Highway 19, which came in as a third priority for the county last year, has also been funded, as well as the bridge over Dry Fork on Route B. As these bridges are considered funded projects, the county no longer needs to consider them priorities.
After some discussion with both residents and officials, the community concluded with MRPC and MoDOT that the top four project priorities would include the following:
1. Route TT bridge construction over Crooked Creek
2. Safety improvements to Highway 19 intersection with Roosevelt Street
3. Shoulder and alignment needs to Route B
4. Safety improvements to shoulders of Route 119
Also included within the list are the following projects:
• Safety improvements to Highway 32, from south Highway 72 junction to Highway 21
• Safety improvements to Highway 19 intersection on Franklin Street
• Route K safety improvements
• Route E safety improvements
• Route VV safety improvements
• Route A safety improvements
• Route AC safety improvements
• Route 119 safety improvements to shoulders
• Highway 19 safety and traffic flow improvements at 4th Street intersection
• Safety improvements to Route K, Route Z, and County Road 618 intersection
• Safety improvements to intersection of Highway 32 and 72
• Intersection improvements to intersection of Highway 19, Highway 32, and McDonald’s entrance
• Intersection alignment improvements to intersection of Doss Road and Highway 32