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Local transportation officials concerned about safety on I-44 after Parson vetoes 28 million dollars for improvements

Interstate 44
Chloe O'Neill
/
KSMU

On June 30th, Governor Mike Parson vetoed $550 million in the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. $28 million of that was earmarked for improvements to Interstate 44 in the Springfield area.

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.

Meghan McKinney is an undergraduate journalism student at Missouri State University. She works as a news reporter and announcer for KSMU. Her passions, other than journalism, are psychology, music, sign languages and dancing. She also runs a local music page on Facebook called "SGF Playlist."