By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale says the focus of Gov. Mike Parson on making improvements to I-70 has left other transportation needs, especially in the St. Joseph area, out of the state budget.
Josendale says this area has some transportation needs that are being neglected.
“Then, in working with different organizations, I found out that the section of I-29 from (U.S. Highway) 169 North to 169 South is one of the heaviest traveled highways in the state,” Josendale says during a visit to the KFEQ Hotline. “And, yet, very little is being done there right now.”
Parson vetoed several line items in the record $50 billion state budget, including funds set aside for several transportation projects.
Josendale suggests Highway 36 will have to handle a much higher traffic load during construction to expand I-70 to three lanes between Kansas City and St. Louis.
“The concern that I have as we go forward with the improvements to I-70 is that I think it will force a lot of truck traffic to the north, to use (U.S. Highway) 36 to go across the state, because it’ll be a real problem to travel on I-70,” Josendale says.
Josendale is disappointed Parson vetoed the $2.5 million allocated to study the possibility of turning Highway 36 into Interstate 72.