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O'Fallon council gives conditional support to county request to consolidate East West Gateway STP application
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Summary
City staff described a county request to submit a single $15.5 million STP application for Highway N and asked municipalities to forgo separate STP requests. Council members indicated conditional willingness to defer municipal STP submissions if all cities agree, while noting local gaps that would need county help to fill.
O'Fallon officials discussed a county request that municipalities not submit individual Surface Transportation Program (STP) applications so the county can submit one large STP request, roughly $15.5 million, to fund an extension and widening of Highway N from Hawk Ridge Trail to Ebert Lane. Public works staff said the city's typical East West Gateway STP awards run about $2–$3 million annually for local resurfacing and reconstruction projects, and that the proposed county submission would compete for the same pool of STP funds.
City engineer/project staff explained funding streams from East West Gateway and distinguished TAP (transportation and paths), CMAQ (congestion mitigation and air quality) and STP monies. The city described two local 2026 candidate projects affected: West Terra resurfacing (historically unsuccessful in applications) and a larger Bridal Road/Veterans Memorial Parkway reconstruction estimated at about $5.5 million. Staff said CMAQ could provide roughly $2.6 million toward Bridal Road, while STP might deliver about $4.4 million, leaving a $1.5–$2.0 million funding gap if the city pursued CMAQ only.
Council members said they were prepared to cooperate with the county’s request if neighboring municipalities agreed to the single‑application approach and county officials commit to helping fill any local funding gaps. Several council members emphasized contingency planning — preparing a city application as a fallback if regional partners do not reach agreement — and pressed staff to secure county guarantees or county road‑board support to help make up the shortfall for Bridal Road if STP funds are unavailable.
Staff noted East West Gateway awards are typically a multi‑year process (roughly a four‑year horizon from application to construction) and cautioned that construction for major projects could be several years out even in the best case. The council did not take a formal vote but conveyed direction to continue coordination with the county while developing a local fallback plan to protect other critical street projects.
