Fixing Access to Rural Missouri
Straight Talk with Sam
It’s no secret that our rural roads and bridges need attention. For years, they were neglected, left to fall into disrepair, leaving places like North Missouri behind. While there’s much work left to be done, I’m glad to report we have made some headway.
The North Missouri countryside has been dotted with one lane bridges supported by timber pile for years. While they’ve served their purpose in the past, these bridges all end up weight-limited, so taking an 80,000-pound semi across one wouldn’t be advisable. I’d also venture a guess that there are some who’ve never had the frightening thrill of speeding up to get across one of these bridges right before a blind curve. They simply aren’t safe.
In 2019, I worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation, Governor Parson, and the Trump Administration to get a grant lined up that would specifically target some of these aging rural bridges in North Missouri. The Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) Bridge Program targeted 31 one-lane, weight-restricted, poor condition bridges supported by timber pile.
It should come as no surprise that replacing these bridges with new 21st century bridges isn’t cheap. However, we were able to secure a $20.8 million federal grant and combine that with $5.2 million from MoDOT. All told, we got the 31 new bridges constructed and the project just wrapped up at the end of last month. It’s partnerships like these, targeting specific infrastructure issues, that get the job done. By eliminating these bridge projects using federal resources, it opens the possibility of using those transportation dollars elsewhere.
I toured one of the FARM bridges as it began construction and another as it was finishing construction. If you’ve driven them before and after, you know what a difference this project has made. Unless you live on these roads, it can often be hard to make the case that they need replaced if they don’t see that much traffic.
It’s the same story with the condition of our lettered routes. However, rural roads and bridges matter and it’s why we are placing a focus on them. Just as with the FARM Bridge Program, the work doesn’t happen overnight, but it is getting done.
With these bridges completed, other bridge projects under construction and work moving forward on our lettered routes, we are making progress. There’s much infrastructure work to be done and I look forward to working into the future to ensure that we are taken care of in North Missouri.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves