Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Highways 63 and 50 remain at top of list 

ST. JAMES — The Meramec Region’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) decided the expansions of Highways 63 and 50 to four-lane corridors remain the number one and two regional transportation priorities, respectively, at its Dec. 9 meeting. The proposed projects on Highway 63 and Highway 50 have topped the regional priority list for several years.

Once it was decided these two projects should continue to be top priorities for the region, TAC members from each county shared the top three or four additional transportation needs from their counties. The TAC members then voted to prioritize these additional needs on a regional level. The prioritized list was approved later in evening by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) board and will now be shared with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Central District office for consideration for inclusion in MoDOT’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is a five-year plan for design and construction projects.

In addition to the projects on Highways 63 and 50, other items topping the TAC’s priority list as high or medium priority, in order of priority, are:

• Replace bridge over Crooked Creek on Route TT in Dent County;
• Improvements to the Hwy. V Interchange on I-44 in Phelps County;
• Install southbound left turn lane on Hwy. 63 at Hwy. 28 near Vichy in Maries County;
• Replace bridge on MO 32 over the west fork of the Huzzah in Dent County;
• Install southbound left turn lane on MO 19 to turn onto Lindburg Road in Crawford County;
• Safety improvements and turn lane on US 63 through Westphalia;
• Add turn lanes from Hwy. 28 junction to north city limits on MO 19 near school in Owensville;
• Safety improvements at the Y intersection of Hwy. 63 and Hwy. 28 south of Vienna in Maries County;
• Safety improvements at Exit 159 on ramp on at I-44 in St. Robert;
• Safety improvements north of Freeburg and at intersection of Hwy. 63 and Route E in Osage County;
• Address bridge concerns over Ashley Branch on Route W in Washington County;
• Safety improvements at the Y intersection of Hwy. 42 and Hwy. 133 in Maries County;
• Improvements to bridge over Cherry Valley Branch on MO 19 in Crawford County;
• Address bridge concerns over Roubidoux Creek on Route H in Pulaski County;
• Address safety and traffic control needs at I-44 interchange and off ramp and Route B intersection on MO 68 in Phelps County;
• Safety improvements at I-44 to University Drive on US 63 in Rolla;
• Address safety and flooding concerns on Route 89 near the Gasconade River through Osage County;
• Convert overpass to interchange for economic development and safety at junction of Route FF and I-44 in Crawford County; and 
• Safety improvements at MO 19 and Roosevelt Street in Salem.

The priority list is an annual planning exercise for the TAC.

Additionally, the TAC prioritized realignment projects on Hwy. 63 that would be recommended to MoDOT should funding become available. From the broader unfunded needs, MoDOT has developed Missouri’s High Priority Unfunded Needs list to guide the development of projects into funded projects as state and federal transportation funds increase. Two projects are currently on MoDOT’s Tier 2 list of high priority unfunded needs. They are a shared four-lane of Hwy. 63 from Route 50 to south of Westphalia and a shared four-lane of Hwy. 63 from south of Maries County Road 332 to south of Maries County Road 325 near Vienna. A third section of Hwy 63 is proposed for Tier 3, that being a shared four-lane from north of Route P in Osage County to north of Maries County Road 332. The remaining four sections of Highway 63 were prioritized by the TAC and are listed from highest to lowest priority. 

• A seven-mile stretch from south of bridge over Maries River at Westphalia to south of Osage County Road 524;
• An eight-mile stretch from south of Maries County Road 325 to just north of Hwy. 68;
• An eight-mile stretch from south of Maries County Road 443 to Phelps County Super 2; and 
• A two-mile stretch from north of Hwy. 68 to south of Maries County Road 443.

Persons needing more information on MRPC’s Transportation Advisory Committee may contact MRPC at (573) 265-2993. For more information on Transportation needs in the region or other programs offered by MRPC, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion or visit www.meramecregion.org. 

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 34 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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