Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, is continuing his campaign for improvements to Highway 19 as it runs through this county in anticipation of increased traffic in the next few years with the development of an industrial megasite in Montgomery County.

“It’s moving right along,” Schulte said of the Greater Montgomery County Porty Authority megasite during Thursday morning’s County Commission session in Owensville City Hall.

In recent weeks, Schulte lobbied the Meramec Region’s planning officials to join him in seeking improvements to the highway, such as adding shoulders, that would help with what he believes will be a significant increase in traffic generated by the megasite. Schulte said he thinks there will be a lot more traffic with trucks moving megasite product down Highway 19 to Interstate 44 to reach markets in the Southwest.

“19’s taking a lot of punishment,” the presiding commissioner said. “There’s going to be an increase in traffic in four or five years,” he added.

“We put a bug in Bonnie Prigge’s ear and we’re going to put a bug in Preston (Kramer’s) ear,” Schulte said, referring to Meramec Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Bonnie Prigge and MoDOT’s Meramec Region Engineer Preston Kramer. The regional planning agency plays a key role in determining highway improvement projects.

Schulte voiced his call for improvements earlier last week during the regular monthly session of the board of the Hermann Regional Economic Development (HRED) Corporation. Schulte is county government’s representative on the HRED Board of Directors.

While Gasconade County is not part of the Greater Montgomery County Port Authority, the city of Hermann is. Chad Walton is the city’s representative on the Port Authority board. Ron Kraettli, a resident of southern Montgomery County and another member of the HRED board, was named as his community’s representative on the Port Authority board.

The Port Authority board is scheduled to meet for the first time on Wednesday, April 24.