Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) continues to voice its support for increasing investment in rural roads and bridges. Governor Mike Parson recently laid out his plan to accelerate repair of nearly 250 bridges across Missouri in need of critical repair or replacement with a $350 million bond investment. He also announced a $50 million transportation cost-share program to assist cities and counties with addressing their most serious local infrastructure needs. MOFB’s grassroots, member-adopted policies strongly support increased investment in rural transportation. Governor Parson’s plan is a welcome step forward in funding Missouri’s backlogged infrastructure repairs.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst said, “Rural Missouri’s roads and bridges are in desperate need of attention. Our transportation system is underfunded and falling further behind every year. Governor Parson’s actions show that he understands how critical our situation is, and I applaud him for his leadership in getting this issue moving forward.

Last Wednesday Hurst spoke to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission in support of increased funding for rural freight corridors, also known as “farm-to-market” roads and bridges. These routes generate an enormous economic impact for rural Missouri and need to be maintained at a higher level to allow our rural economy to continue to grow.

Hurst said, “Missouri agriculture is the economic engine of rural Missouri, generating over $88 billion in annual sales for our state. Today’s farmers haul heavy loads of grain, timber, cotton and other products on our rural roads and bridges. Our rural infrastructure needs to be built to support modern agriculture. We have asked the Highway Commission to study designating the highest-impact rural freight corridors for increased investment, and hope they will recognize the need to prioritize these roads to keep our industry growing.

Missouri Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general agriculture organization, with over 131,000 member families across every county in the state.

 

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