Troop C Groundbreaking Ceremony

Above members of the Patrol and current Troop C employees look on
as officials break ground near the site of the new Troop C building location.

On June 4, 2007 the Missouri State Highway Patrol participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at the location where the new Troop C Headquarters will be built in Weldon Spring, Missouri. The Missouri Office of Administration, Brinkmann Contractors of St. Louis and the Patrol organized the ceremony. The 33,000-square-foot facility, designed to meet current and future growth needs, is slated to open in Spring 2008.

Founded in 1931, Troop C is one of nine highway patrol troops in the state. Its 11-county region includes Pike, Lincoln, St. Charles, Warren, St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, St. Francois, Perry and Ste. Genevieve Counties. The troop has 143 uniformed officers who are supported by 137 uniformed civilians and 26 civilian employees.

The new headquarters is emerging on a nearly five-acre site at the northeast corner of the Highway 40-94 interchange. The building will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week and in addition to administrative offices and a communications center features a memorial for fallen officers, an automotive service and storage area and an indoor shooting range.

"The location of the property meets our regional logistics needs and Troop C's new facility will unquestionably better support its efforts to serve and protect the citizens of east central Missouri," said Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Designed by TR,i Architects, the building is being built with concrete tilt-up panels over a steel frame. The colors of the center have been designed to accent the colors of the Highway Patrol. The entrance will be marked by a large canopy and by a clerestory that will provide a view of the lobby. Public areas will feature stone lobby flooring, carpet, acoustic tile ceilings and maple wood trim.

The 1,700-square-foot communications room will serve as a radio dispatch area. It will feature four, raised-floor control stations and a redundant electrical power system to insure the room remains operational at all times. The 3,900-square-foot shooting range will include ten target lanes, a control booth and an automated target system.

Parking will be available for approximately 150 vehicles.

"This project is just one example of my efforts to implement savings and fiscal responsibility in state government," said Gov. Matt Blunt at the groundbreaking ceremony today. "By working with the Highway Patrol, partnering with MoDOT and recognizing potential savings, we have provided resources to replace a three decade old building with an up to date facility while at the same time securing significant revenue for Missouri taxpayers."

(To view more groundbreaking ceremony pictures click here).