The Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce will begin holding forums with all of the communities along U.S. 54 between Hannibal and I-44 beginning next week.  Chamber leaders say the city is one of five state capitals nationwide that lack access to an interstate highway, a fact that has hurt its economic development.

"Site selectors tell us that when you're not on an interstate, in today's economic attraction agenda, you're really not in the game," said Mark Mehmert with the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce.

The Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce says it has major reservations about the proposal.  Chamber Executive Director Nancy Lewis says, depending on how the proposed interstate is planned, it could help communities in the county, or severely hurt them.

"If [the proposed interstate] is detrimental, meaning it bypasses some of the things it does not now, it would wipe [the smaller communities] out," Lewis said.

Lewis mentioned Kingdom City, which she said could potentially lose its access to the major highways if the proposed interstate were to bypass Kingdom City. Lewis worries Kingdom City faces the loss of its entire economy if the proposal goes through.

Ron Atkinson, owner of Gasper's Truck Plaza in Kingdom City, calls the issue "aggravating," and says it has come up before.  He worries that a proposed interstate may jeopardize the future of his gas station and restaurant if a proposed interstate bypasses Kingdom City.

"All of these businesses," he says, indicating the strip of restaurants and truck stops at the Highway 54 exit on Interstate 70, "without a highway would be essentially worthless."

Lewis says she worries that Jefferson City leaders may try to push through the plan to the detriment of Callaway County, but Mehmert says that this program isn't "Jefferson City-centric."

"I think there is hopefully going to be a coalition of counties and communities that see the benefits that an interstate would bring," Mehmert said.