Missouri puts plowing costs at $5.5 million in first estimate

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The state of Missouri is starting to figure out how much it cost to plow out its highways after this week's winter storm.

The storm dumped as much as 20 inches of snow in some parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday and freezing rain in other areas. A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Transportation said Friday that plowing the state's highways has cost about $5.5 million. She said that figure could be higher once the final costs of salt, snowplow fuel and overtime are in.

MoDOT makes clearing the roads a priority in a storm and would not cut back on plowing even if it went over its $42 million budget. The department would likely make cuts to other maintenance costs in the spring or summer.