Missouri sees many options, little consensus on road funding

Missouri lawmakers agree the state needs more money for roadwork and bridge repair, but they don’t agree on how to pay for it.

A Senate committee could vote this week on a small increase to Missouri’s fuel tax, which Gov. Jay Nixon has endorsed.

It’s not clear how much support that bill could get in the House of Representatives, where Speaker Todd Richardson says a tax increase isn’t the solution. The chairman of House transportation committee says it’s going to take more than one approach to shore up the transportation budget.

Missouri has about 10,400 bridges, and the Missouri Department of Transportation says more than a thousand can’t carry heavy loads. An additional 640 are in critical condition, while more than 15 percent of state roads are in poor condition.

Click here to see a full list of bridges in critical condition.