Contact: Shana Stribling 202.224.0309 Matt Roney 816.471.7141
Friday, August 17, 2001

CLINTON, MO - Senator Kit Bond today joined community leaders to celebrate the opening of U Highway in Clinton. Bond was successful in securing federal funds for the U Highway extension project.

“Transportation issues are not just about concrete, asphalt, steel, or even convenience; they are about the vitality of communities, they are about life and death. That is why I have spent fourteen years in the U.S. Senate fighting for more highway improvement dollars for Missouri,” Bond said.

The Highway U extension will connect Highways 7 and 13 and will provide a direct route from Springfield, connecting communities in Henry, Bates and St. Clair counties together.

Bond has been a longtime champion for Missouri’s transportation needs. During the debate on the 1998 highway bill, Bond won an increase in Missouri’s share of the federal highway pot. The recent bill contains an average of $620 million per year for six years for Missouri, a 53 percent increase over the last transportation bill. Missouri’s rate of return for the Highway Trust Fund jumped from about 86 cents on the dollar to more than 92 cents on the dollar. In addition, Senator Bond authored the Highway Trust Fund funding guarantee, which ensures that dollars collected from motorists through gas taxes are spent on highway improvements.

“Missouri’s roads are one of my top priorities,” Bond concluded. “I will continue to work to ensure that Missourians are safe when they travel.”