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CommentsThe Road Through the Recession
The good, the bad and the unknown: Taking a look at the economic effects of southwest Missouri’s stimulus-related road projects. Turn the page to see the road construction coming to our region.
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he $789.2 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the stimulus bill) was signed by President Barack Obama on February 17. Congress crafted the stimulus, but some noted economic think-tankers (like Steve Coll of The New Yorker) believe the Obama/Democratic stimulus is not that different from what McCain and company would have hashed out, had Republicans been in power. The most concrete stimuli that we (will) see here in 417-land are the bill’s road projects. Of $29 billion allotted for transportation by Congress, Missouri received $637 million for highways and bridges and $150 million for aviation, transit, pedestrian and other modes. Key question being: Are these investments subprimes made of asphalt, or will they help the 417-land economy?
The answer is a qualified yes. If you’re talking about ways to let people drive their cars more quickly to more places, the road projects will help 417-land “unquestionably,” in the words of Jim Anderson. Anderson is president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and as of this writing, he was finishing his term as vice-president of Missouri’s transport commission. He points to “huge” improvements on Highway 60 from Republic to Monett and the six-laning of Highway 65 in Springfield as the two standouts. The Highway 60 improvements are part of a long-term plan to create a vast east-west artery running across the southern tier of the state. The prospect of a bigger Highway 65 with some new interchanges is helping attract at least three development plans along Springfield’s north-south axis.
On a regional level, Anderson also expects “huge” things from the new Lake Taneycomo bridge/roundabout in Branson-Hollister. The project’s $11 million cost was formerly borne by Branson, Hollister, Taney County and MoDOT; assuming the bridge is approved by the transport commission—at press time, the tentative list of projects was up for approval—federal stimulus dollars will allow those governments to use their money elsewhere. Anderson also believes Springfield’s two new diverging-diamond intersections—the first diverging diamonds in the United States—will promote safety and increase traffic flow, both of which are long-term helpers of the local economy.
Dr. David Mitchell, an economist who directs Missouri State University’s Bureau of Economic Research, has a more skeptical perspective. When asked if stimulus projects like highway improvements will help the local economy, he said: “Well, the ones that are for infrastructure are probably going to be pretty good. But a lot of the stimulus bill is basically spending money to spend money.” After seeing a list of the road projects mapped out for this story, most of them stimuli, he commented on whether they were any good: “I think the widening of [Highway] 65 to six lanes is probably a pretty good idea.”
