MoDOT exceeds goal for project preparation

The Missouri Department of Transportation announced it has exceeded its own goal for projects with completed plans those that are ready to bid or have the necessary plans ready for right of way to be purchased.

"As of Dec. 31, we had over $1.1 billion worth of plans ready, which is $500 million over our goal," said Joe Mickes, MoDOT's director, at the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission meeting Jan. 8. "That's a lot of plans, and our 10 district offices are to be congratulated for their efforts to get these plans in on schedule."

The release said completed project plans are a key to the department's operations because scheduled projects sometimes have environmental or land-acquisition problems.

"We set this goal to have an adequate supply of plans to take to bid to complete the Short-Term Action Plan at the end of 1999," Mickes said. "It's good business to have a reserve of projects. We're getting as many of these projects to bid as possible."

Mickes went on to say that, with project plans ready, the department can always have a full slate of bid lettings.

The department's annual construction program, which includes right of way purchase, design costs and construction costs, is about $900 million for 1999. Most of the plans will be used for projects that will be bid in 1999, with the remainder to be done in 2000.

"The goal is to be ahead of the game and have plans ready to go. As project plans are bid, more plans move into reserve," Mickes said.

"These highway plans are essential to MoDOT's five-year plan for transportation improvement," he said. "By having projects ready to go, we're able to put state and federal construction dollars to work and turn plans into transportation facilities the public can use."