The Senate Transportation Committee has approved and sent to the full Senate a bill that would fix a glitch in the law that has stood in the way of the State Transportation Department awarding a single contract to repair and maintain 802 bridges in dire need of repair or replacement.
HB 2 from the current special session of the General Assembly will allow MoDOT to guarantee a contractor that the money will be there for this 30-year project.
The Senate panel voted 7-1 to send the bill to the Senate floor, with only Senator Joan Bray (D-University City) expressing concerns about the financing plan. She was not swayed by assurances from House Sponsor Neal St. Onge (R-Ballwin) that this legislation does not accept any bid that is out there, it simply allows for the bidding process to formally begin.
The bill has already cleared the Missouri House. It is expected to be taken up by the full Senate on Wednesday.
