$10M grant approved for Highway 60 upgrades in Webster County

The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing nearly $10.4 million for a roadway and rail improvement project in Webster County.

The overall plan calls for more than $132 million in upgrades to the U.S. Highway 60 corridor that travels through Diggins, Fordland, Rogersville and Seymour, according to the master plan recommendations commissioned earlier this year for Webster County.

The federal funding pays for a portion of the project, specifically one grade separation along the U.S. Highway 60 and BNSF Railway Co. corridor, as well as the closure of eight at-grade rail crossings, according to a news release.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, said the project is critical for southwest Missouri.

"As highway traffic and rail freight have increased over the years, there’s a clear need for improvements to enhance safety and support continued economic growth over the long term," he said in the release.

Engineering firm Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. conducted the master plan that was released in April for Webster County. The full project recommendations include the consolidation of 49 at-grade highway access points, eight full-access interchanges and one highway overpass.

The April report did not identify a specific funding mechanism to pay for the project. However, officials pointed to plans to seek local, state and federal funding throughout the 2020s.