BILLINGTON Highway to danger: MoDOT's delay on vital U.S. 67 project puts lives at risk

Sen. Jason Bean and I fought to secure a $150 million appropriation to overhaul U.S. Highway 67 through Butler County, but that money sits idle because the Missouri Department of Transportation refuses to act. I got this into last year’s budget after a tough legislative battle, aiming to fix a deadly stretch from Neelyville to the Arkansas state line — a lifeline my constituents desperately need. MoDOT’s inaction has me furious, and I’m holding them accountable.

“There are many good people in MoDOT, and I do not criticize them,” I said, “but this act I condemn. They are letting down the people of Butler and Dunklin County who are in desperate need of this highway.” I’m blunt about the stakes: “It will cost lives because of the dangerous roads that are there now.” U.S. 67’s narrow lanes, heavy 18-wheeler and commercial traffic, and congested flow have long plagued Butler County’s 43,000 residents, with crashes like the March 22, 2024, head-on collision north of Neelyville — killing four — showing the corridor’s hazards.

I started this push in 2018 when elected. I teamed up with Sen. Bean, and in 2024, we got a plan through as HCS HB 2004. The Senate passed it with 25 ayes, 8 noes, and 0 present; the House followed with 120 ayes, 16 noes, and 13 present. Then I learned Speaker Dean Plocher and Budget Chair Cody Smith planned to cut the $150 million from the budget. I rallied area legislators and met with them directly. Because I’ve built strong ties with Plocher and Smith over the years, we convinced them to keep it in — a major win in my seven-year tenure. Gov. Mike Parson signed it in 2024. The bill states: “For the planning, design, right of way acquisition, utility improvements and relocation, upgrades and construction of U.S. Highway 67 in any county with more than forty thousand but fewer than fifty thousand inhabitants and with a county seat with more than fourteen thousand but fewer than eighteen thousand inhabitants. From General Revenue Fund (0101) (one-time) ... $60,000,000 From State Road Fund (0320) (one-time) ... $90,000,000.”

That $150 million targets Butler County — Poplar Bluff’s 17,000-strong county seat fits the bill — extending from Neelyville to Arkansas along the Future I-57 corridor. It covers planning, land buys, utility shifts, and construction — everything MoDOT needs. Yet they haven’t moved. “This isn’t a suggestion,” I said. “It’s a mandate they’re ignoring.” Some question the legality of MoDOT’s refusal, given the budget’s clarity, but the agency stays silent.

I’ve got guesses why. Are federal permits stalled? Costs topping $150 million? Or is I-70 stealing focus? “They’ve got the money and the law on our side,” I argue. Sen. Bean shares my frustration, having stressed to now-Gov. Mike Kehoe the human toll of delay — only to see MoDOT stall. It hits hard here, where U.S. 67’s dangers are undeniable.

The project promised more than safety. Widening U.S. 67 to four lanes, upgrading bridges, and boosting capacity could unlock economic growth for Poplar Bluff, a regional hub, and Neelyville, a rural outpost. It’s a step toward Future I-57, linking Southeast Missouri to broader markets. But without progress, those gains remain elusive. It will cost lives because of the dangerous roads that are there now. I’m planning a 2025 push to force MoDOT’s hand through pressure or legislation if needed. For Butler and Dunklin Counties, U.S. 67 isn’t just a road — it’s survival. With $150 million allocated and lives at stake, MoDOT’s refusal isn’t just a delay; it’s a crisis demanding answers.

May God bless and keep you and our great nation.

Hardy Billington represents District 152, which includes Butler County.