MISSOURI HIGHWAYS OFFICE GRADES WELL

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department received good marks Thursday during a 3 1/2-hour hearing conducted by the House Interim Committee.

The hearings, designed to study the mission of the MHTD and how well is it is being fulfilled, are being held during October in various areas of the state. Thursday's activities were held at the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Larry Payne, a member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Surface Transportation Committee, summed up the feelings of many who testified Thursday.

"I'm speaking here today for myself, as an interested citizen," said Payne. "I'm very pleased with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department."

Payne added, however, that he may not always agree with the agency.

Payne was just one of a large number of people who spoke before the interim committee Thursday.

Rep. Joan Bray is chairwoman of the five-person committee. Other members are Reps. Gracia Backer of New Bloomfield, Don Koller of Summersville, Phil Wannenmacher of Springfield and Sandra Kauffman of Kansas City. Kaufmann missed the Thursday season, which was the fifth session of six on the schedule. The group will meeting at the University of Missouri-St. Louis today.

"When we finish the five hearings -- Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield, Cape Girardeau and St. Louis -- we will meet to discuss what we have heard," said William Tucker, the committee's research analyst.

"Some of the issues we'll be looking are constitutional and statutory provisions concerning the MHTD," said Bray. "We will also examine how well the department coordinates with the federal government and regional and local planning organizations."

Missouri currently supports the sixth largest state highway system in the U.S., with 32,292 road miles. It has the 45th lowest fuel tax in the country, at 15 cents per gallon. The tax provides almost a third of the MHTD's funding.

Missouri's fuel tax is lower than that of any of the eight contiguous states, and is 5 to 11 cents a gallon less than three of those states.

Funding is an issue the committee is concerned about.

"The legislature needs to be finding some other funding for the 15-year plan introduced by the MHTD," said Payne. "The plan is a good one, but a funding shortfall has developed."

The 15-year plan, say Payne and others, may have been introduced too quickly without enough research.

Much of Thursday's session was spent discussing port authorities in the Southeast Missouri.

Spokesmen were present from four port authorities, and all were supportive of the MHTS.

William B. Pennel of New Madrid County County Port Authority cited a need for some funding for a road leading to the Dorena Ferry Landing.

"We'll be ready to open the Dorena-Hickman, Ky., Ferry in April of next year," he said. "But we may not have a road leading to the ferry."

Pennel also is president of the Missouri Port Authority Association.

Ron Crenshaw, Mississippi County Port Authority director, expressed appreciation for the MHTD's help in obtaining an asphalt road into the port.

Also speaking were Dan Overbey, executive director of the SEMO Port, a facility shared by Cape Girardeau and Scott counties, and Dusty Groom of the Pemiscot County Port.

Other speakers were John Oliver, a former member of the state Transportation Commission, and Leon Steinbrueck, executive director of the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission.

All expressed support for the MHTD.

"SEMO Port has found the MHTD and the Highway Commission to be reasonable and cooperative," said Overbey. "The commission has been willing to work with local entities, helping in sharing of work and cost applied on Route AB, which will provide a direct route from Interstate 55 to the port."

The SEMO Port was created and funded by a four-year, quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in both counties. The four-year tax raised $7.3 million to fund bonds for capital improvements at the Port.

Final speakers at Thursday's hearing were Jim Toft and Michelle Watkins of the MHTD's Mercury Team. The team, formed earlier this year, is helping the department prioritize projects in various areas of the state.

"This program, however, will not interfere with the MHTD's current 15-year program," said Toft. "We're looking at priorities beyond the current 15-year plan."