Lake Representative Don Mayhew Is Calling Out The Decision To Fund I-70 Rebuild Over I-44

Lake Area State Representative Don Mayhew is calling out those responsible for deciding where our roadway funding ends up.

Mayhew, specifically, is referring to a $2.8-billion expansion of Interstate-70 approved by state lawmakers and signed by Governor Mike Parson instead of spreading out some of that funding to other non-funded needs such as Interstate-44.

“So if MoDOT isn’t choosing these projects based on priority and this one wasn’t chosen by them, then who did? Who chose that project? Why did that suddenly jump the line in front of all the other projects? A lot of them that have been on the books for needing funding for 40 years.”

Mayhew goes onto say that the numbers speak for themselves with I-44 carrying nine-times the tonnage freight in commerce compared to I-70.

“Since truck traffic is a major factor in all your other traffic related issues, congestion and speed and all those other things, well, wouldn’t it make sense that I-44 should have come in priority wise ahead of I-70?”

Mayhew’s district covers Miller and Pulaski counties which also provide an east-west route for Fort Leonard Wood. To bring awareness to the funding discrepancy, Mayhew has introduced a House Bill to switch the names of I-70 & I-44.