SMTS Breaks Ground on New Park Hills Facility

Park Hills, Mo. (KFMO) - Southeast Missouri Transportation Service, Inc. (SMTS) held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in Park Hills, at the site of the former Missouri State Highway Patrol building.

The project marks the start of a major remodel and expansion aimed at strengthening transit service across St. Francois County and beyond. The renovation will transform the existing 3,795-square-foot building to include office space, a drivers’ lounge, kitchenette, training room, and light vehicle maintenance areas. Plans also include upgrades to a 202-square-foot storage building and the addition of a 160-foot covered parking structure with a wash bay, vacuum, and charging capabilities for SMTS vehicles.

Once complete, the Park Hills site will serve as a central hub for training and operations, supporting SMTS’s mission of providing door-to-door transportation for medical appointments, shopping, and social needs throughout 21 counties in southeast and south-central Missouri.

Founded in 1973, SMTS operates as a non-governmental, non-profit organization and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading rural transit systems.