AASHTO Journal - MoDOT Long Range Transportation Plan Wins Approval

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has approved the 2026 Long-Range Transportation Plan or LRTP developed by the Missouri Department of Transportation; a plan that serves as a guide for the development of the state’s transportation system through 2050.

[Above image by MoDOT]

The new plan – which builds upon the goals and objectives outlined in a previous version, last updated in 2018 – addresses emerging trends and evolving needs across Missouri’s entire transportation network and sets the vision and goals for the state’s transportation future using a five-phase approach that includes vision and goal setting, needs assessment, scenario planning, cost feasibility and implementation and plan adoption.

“The plan dives deep into the state’s demographics and the travel trends in each region. It looks at both where we are and where we’re headed in the next 25 years in terms of infrastructure needs and how emerging technologies and revenue projections stack up against those needs,” said Ed Hassinger, MoDOT’s director, in a statement. “We can’t predict the future, but we’re confident that this long-range plan will help provide a solid foundation as we move forward.”

[Editor’s note: In a similar vein, the Colorado Department of Transportation recently released a video that explains how the agency manages critical infrastructure needs statewide.]

MoDOT’s Hassinger added that public outreach helped his agency determine the goals and objectives outlined in its new long-range plan, which included engaging with individual residents as well as planning organizations from around the state via various public in-person and online meetings. The goals in the final plan focus on preserving the current assets, while also enhancing the safety and reliability of the system – all with an eye to the future, he said.

The agency noted it updated its new LRTP alongside its State Freight and Rail Plan or SFRP, which it updated in 2022. MoDOT said the SFRP serves as a comprehensive assessment of Missouri’s freight and passenger rail systems and determines short-term and long-terms goals for improving the state’s freight and rail infrastructure. Updating both plans simultaneously ensures a coordinated and well-informed development process, allowing a full view of the transportation system, the agency added.