Delta Regional Authority grant credited with West Plains overpass that spurred employer expansion, improved emergency access

Shad Burner, CEO of SEMO REDI, told the meeting that a Delta Regional Authority grant helped finance an overpass in West Plains that cleared the way for the community’s largest employer to expand and addressed dangerous flood-related isolation.

Burner said he was asked by the governor's office and others to coordinate funding for the long-stalled project. "DRA became a central point of getting funding to build that overpass," he said, adding that other granting entities and dollars were involved. He said the completed overpass led the employer to commit to expansion in the community.

The testimony emphasized both economic and safety benefits. Burner said the project not only supported job growth but also addressed recurring flooding that previously "segmented" the community and could block emergency vehicles from reaching one side or the other. He characterized the DRA grant as "a critical role" in making the project possible and urged that the Delta Regional Authority continue to receive funding to support similar projects across the Delta Region.

The remarks in the transcript credited the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) with playing a central funding role; the speaker also referenced coordination with the governor's office and unspecified other grant sources. No formal vote or board action on the matter was recorded in the transcript; the appearance was a testimonial appeal highlighting the local impacts of the completed infrastructure project.