JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A New Hampshire transportation official has been chosen as the new director of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Missouri officials announced Thursday that Patrick McKenna will take over the leadership of the agency that oversees the state’s roads, bridges and other modes of transportation. McKenna is the deputy commissioner for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

He will be coming to Missouri as a funding shortfall is resulting in a backlog of needed repairs to aging bridges and roads.

Missouri has about 600 highway bridges in critical condition that aren’t in the state’s five-year plan for improvements. That is projected to rise to 1,000 within five years.

The transportation department also has said it will only be able to fully maintain about one-quarter of the state’s roads.