A gas-tax increase would be the “cheapest and quickest way” to boost funding for Missouri’s roads and bridges, the state’s transportation director said Thursday.

Director Patrick McKenna made that comment during a visit to Cape Girardeau.

McKenna said he is “encouraged” a state legislative task force is discussing transportation needs and how to fund them. The task force of state lawmakers is expected to make recommendations to the full Legislature by Jan. 1.

Twenty-six states have raised their gas tax in the last four years, McKenna said after speaking to about 30 people at the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club at Dexter Bar-B-Que.

McKenna told the Republican crowd Missouri last increased its fuel tax in 1996.

The state gas tax totals 17 cents per gallon.

But over the last 20 years, the purchasing power of Missouri’s gas tax has dropped to 8 cents because of inflation and improving fuel economy of vehicles, according to the state agency.

At the same time, the cost of asphalt, concrete and steel has doubled, the Missouri Department of Transportation said on its website.

Missourians pay a relatively small amount per month for roads and bridge, McKenna said.

The average Missouri motorist pays about $360 a year in state and federal transportation taxes and fees, far less than the average Missourian pays for cellphone service, he said.

Missouri’s transportation revenue totaled almost $2.5 billion in fiscal 2016, McKenna said. Nearly two-thirds of that revenue came from state user fees, including the fuel tax. Federal funds accounted for the other third, he said.

Missouri has the seventh-largest transportation network in the nation but ranks 47th nationally in revenue per mile, he said.

“That is a challenge,” McKenna said.

Still, he said MoDOT has worked hard to maintain its roads and bridges. According to McKenna, Missouri’s roads and bridges rank 12th best in the nation, and MoDOT has the second-lowest administration costs of all state transportation departments.

“That is a pretty good ranking for us,” he said.

McKenna said MoDOT seeks to make the best use of its available funding.

The state borrowed $4 billion between 2000 and 2010 in an effort to upgrade many of its roads and bridges, he said. Some of the debt has been restructured, but it won’t be completely retired until 2033, according to McKenna.

The financial move has helped MoDOT improve roads and bridges, but it won’t fund all of its road and bridge needs, he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

236 S. Broadview St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.