MoDOT shares freight system plan

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) said on Feb. 6 that it has put together a plan for taking care of the state's freight system and to improve strategies and investments across the state.

Freight is an essential part of the Missouri economy with the state’s system providing more than 1 billion tons of freight valued at over $1.2 trillion per year.

MoDOT unveiled its vision for freight improvement at a recent Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission meeting.

 "The Missouri State Freight Plan is designed to guide our partners statewide in their development plans, but for now, the plan is all we can provide," MoDOT Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger said. "MoDOT's construction budget is dropping to levels that won't even allow us to maintain the highway system we have, so there's virtually no opportunity to make an investment in freight at a statewide level."

The Missouri State Freight Plan was developed through a collaboration with hundreds of stakeholders and builds on Missouri’s Long Range Transportation Plan. The plan establishes goals and strategies for updating the system over the next 10 years.

"We thank our statewide freight partners for their efforts to establish this plan to guide future efforts to improve freight movements in Missouri," Hassinger said.