There are multiple projects planned for I-44 in the Springfield area, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Most of the needed funding is already secured, but two projects would have been funded with the $28 million that was cut from the budget. Those include widening the ramp for westbound I-44 traffic onto Kansas Expressway and repaving existing lanes on I-44 between Kansas Expressway and Highway 65.
Instead of repaving I-44, the Missouri Department of Tranportation plans to resurface it instead. Sara Fields, the executive director of Ozarks Transportation Organization, a planning organization working with MoDOT on the project, says resurfacing raises safety concerns.
“Without that $28 million we are not able to rebuild the pavement, which with a pavement rebuild, it would have lasted for several decades," says Fields. "The pavement will be resurfaced every seven to ten years, so we are talking about a construction zone every seven years.”
Field says construction zones increase chances of accidents and deaths. According to MoDOT, the current pavement on I-44 near Springfield dates back to the 1960s.
Fields says the project overall is going to take longer without the $28 million. She says Ozarks Transportation Organization is seeking out additional funding.
Lawmakers could override the governor’s vetoes during the state’s annual veto session in September. Two-thirds of the House and Senate votes would be needed.
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