HIGHWAY FUNDING, I-66 SUPPORT ARE BOTH HARD TO FIND

Driving on interstates almost anywhere in Missouri shows motorists how the aging highway system is suffering. Road surfaces that once enticed cars and trucks off narrow, two-lane roadways are deteriorating, and the money to make major repairs -- or, in some cases, rebuild entire sections of highway -- is sorely lacking.

This isn't just a Missouri problem, of course. As the federal government looks for ways to reduce spending, highway funding will continue to take its lumps.

Meanwhile, there are other pressing highway needs and wish lists. One interstate topic of current interest in Cape Girardeau County is where to put a new interchange: Jackson or Oak Ridge? The county commission is being asked to make a choice because, even though neither interchange is likely to be built for several years, the funding mechanism for such projects requires that a choice be made. There won't be enough money for both interchanges, highways officials predict.

Another major highway expense -- one that still isn't entirely funded -- is the planned new bridge across the Mississippi River. Construction is well under way for a new access highway that would connect the Missouri end of the bridge to I-55. But highway officials in Illinois have yet to make any financial commitment to the project from that end.

All over the country, the interstate system is showing the wear and tear that comes with age. It has been about three decades since the modern, multilane highways became the routes of choice for millions of motorists.

The funding stretch facing all 50 states as they look for ways to keep interstate highways in good repair is a stark contrast to the continuing effort to get Congress to fund a new interstate highway, the so-called I-66 project that is being promoted from its base in Cape Girardeau. This project envisions a new superhighway from the vicinity of our nation's capital to the West Coast. While no route has been set, backers here would like for the proposed highway to cross the Mississippi River on the planned new bridge. This would give Cape Girardeau a much-needed east-west highway to complement the north-south access of I-55.

While there is general agreement that east-west highway access for Cape Girardeau needs to be improved, there continues to be big questions about the I-66 project. Those questions were sharpened last week when it was reported that I-66 Project Inc., the organization promoting the highway, is again short of money to keep its operations going. These expenses basically include salaries for an executive director and office and travel expenses. Even so, the organization has no money and a backlog of some $20,000 in expenses.

Not only is there no money in Congress for the I-66 project, cities and other would-be supporters along the proposed I-66 route aren't giving much financial support to the lip service that has kept the idea alive for several years.

Even Walt Wildman, the I-66 executive director who has lobbied for the project since its inception, is facing reality. "I am dedicated," he said, "but not stupid."

There is little question that efforts for highway projects that would give Cape Girardeau better options along east-west corridors should continue. Once again, however, the question is whether the effort should be focused on one questionable project instead of pushing for every possible option, which might not include the grand interstate vision of the I-66 backers.