HERMANN — Flood-control projects in two areas of Hermann are now at the top of Gasconade County’s list of priority transportation needs on state highways.

The county’s new version of its Transportation Improvement Plan was cobbled Thursday morning during a meeting between the County Commission and planners with Meramec Regional Planning Commission and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Regional Engineer Preston Kramer.

The county’s plan, which is updated annually, contains proposals that are submitted to regional officials as possible projects to be included in the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). The updated version of the 5-Year STIP is announced by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission after the first of the year.

The flood-control projects were lobbied for by Hermann city government officials last year and were included on the county’s plan, ranking below the top project, which was safety improvements at the hazardous curve that contains the intersection of Highway 100 West and Route J about six miles outside Hermann. MoDOT installed signs alerting westbound motorists of the approaching curve — a move that transportation agency officials believe addresses the safety concerns.

The intersection project has been on the county’s TIP for several years. However, improving sight distance for westbound traffic approaching the curve would be costly, involving the purchase of land and excavation work or the relocation of the junction.

The flood concerns are along Highway 100 East at the bluffs and in the area of the intersection of Highways 100 West and 19 South. The issue here is that a flooded Missouri River results in a flooded Frene Creek, which puts water over the road near a Hermann Fire Company station. The two areas are being handled as a single item on the county’s TIP.

In the No. 2 position on the list is the bridge over Bailey Creek on Highway 100 in Morrison. The span was built in 1948 is considered to be in serious condition. The third priority project is the bridge over the Bourbeuse River on Highway 19 south of Owensville. Built in 1988, the bridge is considered to be in poor condition.

Rounding out the other major items on the county’s list are, at No. 4, safety concerns on Highway 19 from the junction of Highway 28 north to the Industrial Park entrance in Owensville; safety improvements at the Red Oak Creek span on Highway 19, tabbed as the No. 5 project; and at No. 6, the same position as last year, the potential paving of all county road approaches to a state highway.

The county’s priority items list will be forwarded to Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). Comprised of three representatives from each of the eight counties within the region, the TAC will consider the TIPs of all the counties and distill the long list of priority items into a single proposed TIP for the region. That list will be forwarded to the planning agency’s Board of Directors, which, in turn, will approve a final list of projects to be submitted to MoDOT.