The Washington Area Transportation Committee on Oct. 27 voted to back a city-led application to Missouri Department of Transportation cost‑share and a later Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant that requests the higher-end funding estimate for the southern portion of the Missouri 47 corridor so the eventual design will not be limited by a shortfall.

City staff told the committee they submitted a 50/50 cost‑share request to MoDOT for the section south of town to the planned East‑West Parkway and plan to apply for STP funding through East‑West Gateway in February 2026. The city’s original order‑of‑magnitude estimate of roughly $12 million was refined during agency review to about $13.5–$14 million to preserve the option of a roundabout at the future East‑West Parkway intersection, staff said. The committee voted by voice to support submitting the larger request; no opposition was recorded.

Why it matters: requesting the higher amount now preserves flexibility. Staff said it is significantly harder to secure additional funds after an award than to scale back a project later. If the roundabout option is ultimately selected, staff estimated additional construction cost in the $2–$3 million range overall, which would translate to roughly $1–$1.5 million in additional local share for each jurisdiction if required.

What the study shows so far: the city reported 287 responses to the recent public meeting survey. Community advisory group feedback prioritized safety while the broader public survey placed somewhat more emphasis on congestion; results were close. For the prominent 47/50 intersection the study materials presented three concepts — a continuous‑flow intersection (CFI), a realignment and a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) — with CFI showing the most favorable response in the materials presented. Staff also reported public support ratios for corridor‑wide speed reductions (about 1.6:1 in the north section, 2.6:1 in the Union area and 1.5:1 in the south section) and that many write‑in comments favored roundabouts where feasible.

Planning and delivery: staff told the committee the remainder of the corridor has approximately $78 million programmed for fiscal year 2028. The next major decision is the project delivery method — design‑bid‑build or design‑build — which will determine how concepts, environmental work and contractor proposals are combined. If the project proceeds under design‑build, proposers will submit packages promising specific improvements rather than only bid prices.

Timeline and public records: MoDOT’s cost‑share committee will make determinations in December 2025, staff said; East‑West Gateway STP applications are due in February 2026 with awards expected in the spring. City staff said they will post conceptual study materials and survey results on the project website and offered to add committee members to an email update list; they also noted that formal public‑records or sunshine requests must follow the legal department’s process.

Next steps: with the committee’s unanimous backing to request the higher funding amount, staff will proceed with the MoDOT cost‑share application and prepare the STP application due in February 2026. Final decisions about specific intersection types and pedestrian/traffic mitigations will await further design work and the delivery‑method selection.