Two officials of Warren County did a public service when they brought to the attention of Washington officials the need for a Highway 47 causeway north of the Missouri River bridge. That portion of Highway 47 floods. When flooded it cuts off access from Warren and St. Charles counties to Washington.The need for a causeway is not a new issue but has been asleep in the minds of many people, including officials, for some time.The issue was given a wake-up call by Hubie Kluesner, Warren County commissioner, and Chad Eggens, executive director of the Booneslick Regional Planning Commission, when they appeared before the Washington Area Transportation Committee last week. They asked the committee for support in the effort to get a causeway. The committee pledged its support.We all are familiar with the causeway that was built north of the new Missouri River bridge at Hermann on Highway 19. It was built about the same time as the new bridge. The elevated roadway gives access to Hermann and Gasconade County when flooding occurs.The volume of traffic on the Highway 47 bridge is about 13,000 vehicles a day, much more than what the Hermann bridge carries. The need for a causeway on Highway 47 is much greater yet Hermann was able to get funding for the Highway 19 causeway.People to the north depend on being able to reach the bridge on Highway 47 to gain access to Washington, where hundreds attend school, where their hospital and doctors are, where they work and where needed services are. Area state engineer Judy Wagner is well aware of the need for a causeway. The state needs financial aid from the federal government to build a causeway.Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, Gov. Eric Greitens, and all of our state representatives and state senator for this area, we need your help.