Schuyler County Road Projects Included in New MoDOT Five-Year Plan
Schuyler County has one highway project approved for construction and six additional projects in the scoping and design stage under Missouri’s newly approved 2027-2031 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the five-year STIP on July 1. The plan lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Statewide, the STIP makes available $13 billion in federal and state revenue for all modes of transportation, including $9.3 billion in contractor awards for road and bridge construction.
The STIP is MoDOT’s five-year road map for transportation improvements. It is considered a fiscally constrained plan, meaning projects listed for construction are tied to funding MoDOT expects to have available. MoDOT works with planning partners across the state to identify needs, set priorities and determine which projects can be funded. A draft version of the 2027-2031 STIP was released in May for public review, and MoDOT received 65 comments before the final plan was approved.
For readers, the key distinction is between projects listed in the highway and bridge construction schedule and those still in the scoping and design stage. MoDOT says construction-schedule projects are funded and represent a commitment to implement an improvement, purchase right of way and/or construct. Scoping and design projects are potential future projects and are not yet commitments to build.
The only Schuyler County project listed in the approved construction schedule is a $329,000 Route N pavement improvement from the Iowa state line to Route 136 in Downing. The project covers 7.98 miles. MoDOT lists the award date as 2028, with construction funding shown in the 2027-28 fiscal year. The project includes $301,000 for construction, with the total estimate including engineering costs.
The STIP also includes six Schuyler County projects in the scoping and design stage. Those projects are not yet approved for construction, but they are being studied or designed for possible future work.
Two of the scoping projects are listed on Route A. One is a possible bridge improvement over Brushy Creek Overflow, 1.4 miles north of Route D near Downing. The project involves bridge S0166 and carries a future cost range of $301,000 to $1 million. The other is a possible bridge improvement over Bridge Creek, 0.9 mile south of Route T near Willmathsville. That project involves bridge S0912 and carries a future cost range of $1.001 million to $2 million.
Two more scoping projects are listed near Downing and Glenwood. MoDOT lists a Route N culvert improvement over Elm Creek, 1.8 miles north of Route 136 near Downing, with a future cost range of $301,000 to $1 million. A U.S. 136 bridge improvement over Elm Creek, 0.2 mile east of Route AA near Glenwood, is listed with a future cost range of $2.001 million to $5 million.
The largest scoping item is a U.S. 63 roadway improvement from the Iowa state line to 2.1 miles north of Route KK near Kirksville in Adair County. The project includes $1.04 million in Community Funded Projects funds and carries a future cost range of $75.001 million to $100 million.
MoDOT also lists a U.S. 63 bridge improvement over the South Fork Middle Fabius River, 0.9 mile north of Route P near Queen City. That project involves bridge L0140 and carries a future cost range of $1.001 million to $2 million.
Together, the six Schuyler County scoping projects represent possible future costs ranging from about $79.6 million to $111 million. However, those projects would still have to move from scoping and design into a future construction schedule before MoDOT would be committed to building them.
