Photo by Ryan Gladstone / St. Joseph News-Press

A train ties up traffic along Illinois Avenue, between U.S. Highway 59 (Lake Avenue) and Missouri Highway 759 (Stockyards Expressway). The Missouri Legislature approved a state construction budget that included more than half a million dollars to help the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority buy the land needed for a railroad bridge crossing between the two highways.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A bridge project to relieve South Siders of train headaches received its first pill from the state Thursday.

The Missouri Legislature approved a construction budget that sends more than half a million dollars to the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority to buy land needed for a railroad bridge crossing between U.S. Highway 59 (Lake Avenue) and Missouri Highway 759 (Stockyards Expressway).

“This is a step in the direction of reality,” said Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph. “I understand it seems like it’s never going to happen, but it’s been a real job finding the money for this.”

St. Joseph and Buchanan County leaders for years have racked their brains for funding sources in light of safety and traffic concerns.

When trains block the Alabama Street-Lake-Stockyards intersection, ambulances trying to reach the area west of the tracks have to take the lengthy alternate route of King Hill Avenue to Interstate 229 to U.S. Highway 36 and then turn south on Highway 759.

Lake Contrary Elementary School sits on the west side of the railroad tracks. The area also includes several housing communities and more than 5,000 people work there.

The community has nabbed a $3 million

federal earmark and $3 million in city Capital Improvement Projects funds for a bridge to quicken access.

But the project came to a near standstill when proposed solutions proved more expensive. Also, MoDOT deemed an Alabama bridge as an unlikely solution because the street sits too close to Highway 59 and the grade would be too steep for tractor-trailers to climb.

Then this spring, the Legislature shed some light.

Gov. Matt Blunt didn’t slate funding for it in his initial budget recommendations in January. Legislators, however, recently amended the state’s construction budget to include an extra $2.6 million for port authorities statewide, bringing the total to $6.6 million.

Mr. Rucker and other local officials were able to capture $528,442 for the St. Joseph port authority.

At least $70,000 of that will go toward the authority’s purchase of a scale it will use to weigh trucks that are loaded there before they get on I-229 and Highway 36.

The authority will use the remainder for land acquisition for the crossing project.

Mr. Rucker said MoDOT needs to complete a site location survey before the project can move forward any further, but without the land purchase, the project’s off the table.

“This has been a long process. Maybe this will be the kick-start it needs,” Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, said.

The authority’s chairman, Dick Deshon, explained that city and Buchanan County officials are considering about four different sites for access to the crossing, which might not necessarily manifest into a bridge. A Department of Economic Development official suggested just last week that building a tunnel underneath the tracks could be a better option, but it would involve considerable groundwater pumping, he said.

Regardless, he stressed that all the proposed access sites are privately owned.

“It’s a giant step because ... it gives us recognition by the state that there is a crossing project we need in St. Joseph. It takes a long time to get on the radar screen of MoDOT.”

The state’s backing could spell additional and speedier attention from MoDOT and perhaps more earmarks.

City Councilman Mike Bozarth said the project could total between $8 million and $12 million.

“This is something that’s going to happen. I have no doubt in my mind,” Mr. Bozarth said.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.