November 24, 2009

WASHINGTON – Improvements to Highway 61 in Perry and Ste. Genevieve Counties are included among highway projects in Missouri receiving funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Delta Region Transportation Development Program (DRTDP), U.S Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced Monday.

"Investments like these will not only improve the safety of the Delta Region’s highways, they will also strengthen its economy and put people back to work," said Secretary LaHood.

Created in 2005 as a provision of the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users," the program provides up to $10 million each year for highway projects in the eight states comprising the Delta Region --Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

Missouri Projects receiving DRTDP funds this year include:

Perry, Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau Counties – $607,573 will help to replace pavement and improve shoulders on State Route 61 between Fruitland and Jefferson County . 

Poplar Bluff – $2,102,386 to help build bypass around Poplar Bluff to the Industrial Park to reduce number of large freight carriers currently using streets downtown and in residential areas. 

Shannon and Carter Counties – $950,000 will help build new shoulders and replace pavement on State Route 60 to extend the useful life of the westbound lane from Route M in Shannon County to Route C in Carter County . The route is heavily traveled by an estimated 10,000 vehicles daily, many of which are commercial trucks.

Pemiscot County – $950,000 to help upgrade pavement and shoulders at I-55 interchange at State Route 84. The interchange currently serves an estimated 19,000 drivers, about half of which are heavy commercial trucks.

Stoddard County – $342,418 for paving of several sections of Stoddard County roads which are currently gravel.