Interstate 49 coalition continues lobbying for highway upgrade

An ongoing effort to promote upgrading U.S. 71 to Interstate 49, an interstate highway route offering a stronger north-south artery across the United States continues, members of a coalition in favor of the project met in Nevada on Friday.

People living in the Midwest often say being the center of the country has its benefits; however, that very feature can also be a liability to this part of the country.

"This is as far from salt water as you can get," making transportation to ocean or gulf ports a challenge, Woody Cozad told members of the Missouri I-49 Coalition during a meeting Friday at Greenfield's.

Currently there is no direct route between western Missouri and the Gulf of Mexico.

A good route to the ocean allows businesses access to the growing market in South and Central America, as well as the rest of the world, and a highway from Kansas City to New Orleans is the most direct route to South America, Cozad, a lobbyist for the Missouri I-49 Coalition, said.

"It's been talked about for a long time, because it just makes sense," he said.

In some segments of what's known as the I-49 corridor -- the route known as U.S. 71 in Missouri and Arkansas, I-49 in Louisiana -- there has been more than just talk.

Some of I-49 exists in Louisiana, and drivers only have to drive U.S. Highway 71 south of I-44 in Missouri to get a taste of what the future may hold.

Cozad said that it is not a coincidence that this road was in U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt's district when he was majority whip in the House of Representatives.

This is the most expensive part of I-49 to build, Cozad said.

This leaves the stretch of Highway 71 from I-44 to Harrisonville as the only part in Missouri needing to be upgraded to Interstate standards.

This is the cheapest part of the road to build per mile, Kathi Wysong, I-49 Coalition president, said.

Since the four-lane highway already exists, what's needed to upgrade that segment of roadway to interstate standards is to build full interchanges and outer roads to end grade-level road intersections.

In addition, about 130 miles of interstate-designed highway from Fort Smith, Ark., to the southern Arkansas border needs to be built as well.

Cozad said that the estimated cost for the complete I-49 project is about $4 billion, with the Missouri section costing between $250 and $400 million.

For now, that funding isn't in place, but that's a condition the coalition hopes to change.

"Our goal is to get some money authorized for a couple of I-49 projects in the next highway appropriation bill. Currently there is nothing earmarked for I-49," Cozad said.

"Until we get that we're going uphill," he said.

The key to getting this to happen is to get the Kansas City metro area involved, he noted, adding that the Mid America Regional Council has now designated this as one of their projects.

"This is also an election year for Kansas City councilmen, and we need to get some of these council candidates to propose pushing the Missouri Department of Transportation to make I-49 a major priority," he said.

Once there is some federal money available, MoDOT will not be able to resist using it and will find state money to pay for their part of the project cost, Cozad suggested.

"Hopefully when the next federal highway bill comes out you will know when I-49 will be completed," he said.

"Over the next few months we will be making an effort to hold public events to increase awareness and enthusiasm for the I-49 project," Rob O'Brian, I-49 Coalition vice president, Joplin, said.

"We will also be looking for resolutions of support from cities and counties in the corridor," he said, noting that the biggest thing to happen so far is for the section of I-49 south of I-44 to be built, he said.

"Until you hook onto that road, it looks like a highway to nowhere. It only makes sense if it connects to something," Cozad said.