Sam Graves-Advancing Missouri Infrastructure

by Sam Graves

Dear Friend,

As Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, one of my top priorities is ensuring our infrastructure dollars are being spent wisely and efficiently—and that Missourians are getting our fair share of infrastructure funding. In working towards that goal, it’s critical that the folks who are working on our infrastructure issues every day in Missouri have their voices heard in Congress.

I had the opportunity to stop by the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Statewide Planning Partners meeting to discuss ways local, state, and federal officials can all work together to advance Missouri’s transportation priorities.

I’ve always believed local communities make better decisions about how to invest our infrastructure dollars than bureaucrats who live 1,000 miles away. We know what bridge needs fixing, what road needs repaving, or what intersection needs to be redone because we travel it every day.

Governor Parson also took some time to discuss a few of the major infrastructure investments we’re looking at in the state—including efforts to improve I-70.

The Governor has been an excellent partner in improving our infrastructure. He’s made sure that when we secure federal funding for big projects like the I-70 Rocheport Bridge, we’re then using the state dollars freed up by those grants to invest in our rural roads and bridges. From the $100 million the Governor put towards our lettered routes to the FARM Bridge program that I helped secure to repair aging rural bridges in North Missouri, we’re getting some real work accomplished. Ultimately, it's a win-win for Missourians from every walk of life and it’s work I look forward to building on.

Our infrastructure isn’t limited to our roads. Our rivers are also critical infrastructure for Missouri and our Nation. I stopped by the annual Missouri River Navigators’ meeting to discuss some of the challenges we’ve been facing in getting barges up and down the river, along with some of the progress we’ve made in prioritizing navigation and flood control.

I’ve been particularly proud of our successful efforts to limit the supersized ecological science experiments on the Missouri River, invest in maintaining navigational structures, and secure a Marine Highway designation and additional funding for the Port of Brunswick on the Missouri River.

Missouri is blessed to have so many folks who care deeply about our various modes of transportation. They recognize that it affects everybody’s life in ways big and small. It was an honor to discuss these critical infrastructure issues with them and I’ll continue to utilize their perspectives in my role on the Transportation Committee.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves