ST. JAMES — Several area state highways are proposed for upgrades in the upcoming five years.

Members of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Advisory Committee went on record in support of the newly released Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP), which includes the four-laning of 6.63 miles of Highway 50 from the Mari-Osa Delta to west of Linn. The projects listed in the STIP are proposed until approved by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. Action on the STIP is expected in July.

Improvements to Highway 50 and Highway 63 are the TAC’s top two priorities in the Meramec Region. The TAC met in regular session on June 12 at Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Design work continues on the U.S. 50 project. Right-of-way acquisition — budgeted at $5.1 million — is planned in the 2010-11 fiscal year with construction set for 2012-13. Expected construction costs are $35.75 million.

The STIP also includes pavement and shoulder improvements on 9.45 miles of Highway 50 in Gasconade County, from near the Route 19 junction to the Franklin County line.

Additional work is planned for the MRPC counties in District 9 of:

• Crawford County — Rehabilitate bridge and improve shoulders and intersection on a nearly 10 mile section of Route 19 from the Gasconade County line to I-44 at Cuba and make safety improvements on Route 19 from Route PP to 2.5 miles south of Cuba; and,

• Phelps County — Resurface three miles of Highway 63 through Rolla and resurface 9.45 miles of Route 72 from County Road 5220 to County Road 209.

Several maintenance and repair and rehab projects are also planned on Interstate 44 in Phelps, Crawford and Pulaski counties over the next five years. MoDOT planners presented the STIP projects to the TAC and explained the projects included in the STIP are a result of input from the TAC and MoDOT’s planning partners, including regional planning commissions. Planners pointed out that money is tight. Some $775.9 million was available for right-of-way, construction and engineering in the 2012-13 fiscal year compared to $1.147 billion in 2008-09.

“We are getting close to reaching our cliff,” said District 5 planner Mike Dusenburg. The “cliff” is the decline in construction funds that MoDOT will experience after the 2008-09 fiscal year. With the 2009-10 fiscal year, transportation funding drops off significantly because stagnant state funding, lagging federal revenues, higher construction and fuel costs and bond repayment. Osage County Commissioner Jerry Wolfe stressed the need to focus on raising more transportation revenue. The TAC will look at options being considered at its next TAC meeting.

TAC also learned that rising fuel costs is the greatest challenge facing OATS, a local transit service operating 700 vans in 87 Missouri counties. Fuel costs for OATS are up $500,000 so far this year. OATS will have to adjust service levels if fuel prices continue to rise. OATS has added fuel escalators to its contracts. High fuel prices will increase interest in transit and transportation. TAC adopted MRPC’s Regional Transportation Plan, a three-year project that sets transportation goals and identifies needs and priorities.