Missouri has the largest highway system in the country.

MoDOT said 78 percent of the state's major roads are now in good conditon, compared to 46 percent three years ago.

These improvements are part of a multi-billion dollar project to create safer Missouri roads and bridges.

"We have been fortunate enough in the past couple of years to have a record amount of highway construction, and that's largely due to the fact that voters in 2004 approved Amendment 3 which redirected some user fees to our roads and bridges," MoDOT Spokesperson Sally Oxenhandler said.

But some don't think the improvements are paying off.

"They're rough, torn up. The money thats allotted for them, I don't think it's spent on the roads," Donna Johnson, a truck driver for 10 years, said.

Independently owned and operated truck drivers like Donna Johnson feel they are often negitively affected by taxing. They pay fuel taxes, highway usage taxes, and sometimes more than that.

"I think the highest I paid to fill my truck was almost $700 before I bailed and just got out of it. I couldn't do it anymore," Johnson said.

But Phillip Brangers, who's been a trucker for 28 years, is an owned and operated driver and he pays thousands in taxes a year.

"$12,000-$13,000 a year, and I'd like to see it go where it ought to be. Th roads and the bridges, all of our bridges and interstate systems are in pretty bad shape," Brangers said.

The tax money Branger pays is 13 percent of what he makes a year.

"I think we probably need a new government. Crooked. I think a lot of money is dissaperaring in areas where it's not supposed to be going," he said.

The highway usage tax, also called the 2290 Tax Form, comes from the IRS.

Independant truckers pay $550 per truck each year.

MoDOT ensures that the money is going on the roads.

"Some of that money does go to counties for their road and bridge projects. Some of it goes to other agencies that would be like the Highway Patrol whose repsonsible for enforcing our traffic laws on our highways and a portion goes to the department of revenue," Oxenhandler said.

Right now, the state is shelling out close to $6 billion over a continual five year period for it's statewide transportation improvement program

In 2005 Overdrive Magazine ranked Missouri as the state with the second worst roads in the country. But MoDOT said they've taken dramatic steps to imporve the state of transportation

In fact, just one year after the first study, Overdrive Magazine ranked I-70 in Missouri as one of the most improved roads in the nation.

"We have been able to improve the conditions of our roads. Up to 78 percent of them are now in good condition," Oxenhandler said.

MoDOT is looking at proposal for dedicated truck lanes.

"It's a concept right now. We don't have the funding for that. It would cost about $7.2 billion to do both I-70 and I-44," Oxenhandler said. 

But Johnson said that what the state needs to focus on is the economy and not billion dollar road projects.

Right now the economy is suffering and the federal government is cutting federal funds. That leaves Missouri's next Governor facing tough choices.

KOMU spoke with the Gubernatorial candidates on how they can pay for what we need. To view their full-length interviews, follow the links in the Related Links section above.