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HANNIBAL, MO. -- Some of the highway in Northeast Missouri has been put on a priority list by the Tri-State Development Summit.

A transportation task force with the summit wants to build what it calls a Southwest Gateway corridor.

The task force wants to make the 180 miles from New London to Lebanon all four lane highway.

We spoke to chairman of the transportation task force Tom Boland.

He says a lot of that stretch already is four lane, but needs to be upgraded.

And there are two parts that need to be made into four lane; from New London to Mexico and from Camdenton to Lebanon.

We asked Boland what this would provide for drivers.

"Well the 4 lane highway, the safety and the ease and the speed which you can go down there from say New London, Hannibal, Quincy, this area down to Lebanon, Springfield, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and out west," said Boland.

How much of a reality is this project?

Boland said, "It's a reality, but it's going to take a while. And it's a worthwhile thing to do and again the funding is what's going to be an issue. And it's going to take a while to get all that lined up. By a while I mean, my personal opinion is it's going to take at least 10 years to get it to a point of reality."

The four lane highway would continue south to Interstate 44.