CMT was retained to lead a master plan and follow-on design for a 22-mile highway/rail corridor section of U.S. Highway 60 & BNSF Thayer-North Rail Corridor in Webster County, MO. The study included 47 at-grade roadway intersections and 36 at-grade railroad crossings across many overlapping regional economies.
A major component of the study was an economic analysis of four individual local economies along the study corridor. A gap analysis was performed for each impacted community and applied to the proposed master plan improvements. Based on these results, CMT created an economic and land-use development model for the corridor, identifying areas where the highway and rail improvements would generate the greatest return on investment. The result is one where local and county officials can utilize the master plan as a tool to attract businesses and locate prime development opportunities that align with the future corridor improvements.

This project built upon and furthered CMT’s innovative approach to roadway and highway/rail safety. The successful outcomes on this project have allowed Webster County, MoDOT, BNSF, and local communities to strategically plan for infrastructure and economic growth and have provided a key document to assist in attracting funding and future economic developments.

CMT’s innovative approach and decades of experience proved invaluable in developing a master plan that improves safety, maintains critical rural access, and creates future economic development opportunities along this corridor.

Paul Ipock
Presiding Commissioner, Webster County, MO