WARRENSBURG, MO – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today joined members of the Missouri Department of Transportation and local officials to kick-off construction of the new Route 13 East Loop.

 

            “This East Loop will help fuel economic development and business growth between Knob Noster and Warrensburg and throughout the region,” said Bond.  “The end result will be roads that are free of congestion and that will work to encourage growth rather than hinder it.”

 

            Currently, Missouri Route 13 carries traffic through the main north-south highway through Warrensburg, also known as Maguire Street.  This route is severely congested because it runs through the University of Central Missouri. The new 12-mile loop will reduce congestion in Warrensburg by separating the through-traffic of commercial vehicles from stop-and-go local traffic in downtown Warrensburg.

 

            The 12-mile Route 13 East Loop project includes a North Leg and South Leg. The five-mile North Leg project will build a new two-lane to the intersection of existing Route 13 with Routes OO and V.  This half of the project will complete the new highway that will loop around the east side of Warrensburg.  The South Leg of the project includes a seven-mile segment of the Warrensburg East Loop, which runs from U.S. Highway 50 to near Road 365. 

 

            During the groundbreaking, Bond stressed that in addition to reducing congestion and increasing safety, the new bypass will help create jobs and spur economic growth.  Bond, a long-time advocate for increased investment in our transportation infrastructure, emphasized that good roads connect people and communities with one another.  This connection attracts and sustains businesses, creates jobs and will boost the quality of life for Missourians in the region. 

 

            For workers, the boost to the economy from good roads means real jobs, Bond noted.  The Federal Highway Administration estimates that every billion dollars spent on highway infrastructure projects create about 35,000 jobs.  Under this formula, the new bypass will create over 750 jobs in the Warrensburg region – new jobs that couldn’t come at a better time.  Also, since the contract for the new Route 13 was awarded to a Missouri company, these will be Missouri jobs created.

 

“Not only will this project benefit everyone who uses the road, it will particularly benefit the people who are employed on its construction.  This road will have a Made in Missouri label, and our workers will be able to take pride in what they create” said Bond.

 

As one of the key authors of the federal highway bill, Bond secured over $1 billion in new highway funds for Missouri and $467.5 million for transportation projects statewide in the highway bill, including $15 million for the South Leg of the Route 13 Loop.

                                                            # # #