Governor breaks ground on I-70 improvements in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Ground has been broken on a long-awaited and heavily debated interstate improvement plan in Missouri.
On Thursday, June 13, Missouri Governor Mike Parson broke ground on a nearly $3 million plan to expand I-70 throughout the Show-Me State. Missouri’s Improve I-70 program broke ground in Columbia.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a momentous occasion not only because we’re kicking off our historic Improve I-70 project, but it’s a culmination of the bold infrastructure initiatives we’ve prioritized since day one,” Gov. Parson said. “I-70 is one of Missouri’s oldest and most vital corridors. The safety and economic prosperity of Missourians depend on an interstate that grows along with the state and nation. Expanding I-70 to six lanes has been talked about in Jefferson City for decades, but our istration, in working with Senator Lincoln Hough and the General Assembly, is taking action and getting it done. We could not be more proud that the work we’re commemorating here today will continue serving Missourians for generations to come.”
The state’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget from the General Assembly, which was signed into law by Parson, provided $2.8 billion for the costs to build a third lane in each direction along nearly 300 miles of interstate between Blue Springs and Wentzville.
“Today’s I-70 groundbreaking kicks off a historic, once-in-a-generation investment that will benefit Missouri businesses, commuters, and tourists alike for decades to come,” Senator Lincoln Hough, Missouri Senate Appropriations Chair, said. “I was happy to lead this project’s development in the General Assembly and work with Governor Parson to lead the nation in large-scale infrastructure development. Expanding I-70 to six lanes has been needed for decades. It has been talked about for decades. Today, decades of talk turns to action. This project is pro-infrastructure, pro-business, pro-jobs, and, above all, pro-Missouri. We thank Governor Parson for being a leader in strengthening Missouri’s infrastructure as we look forward to continuing the strong foundation he has built on behalf of all Missourians.”
The first phase, which costs $405 million, will add an additional between Highway 63 in Columbia to Route 54 in Kingdom City. Around $123 million in previously programmed Missouri Department of Transportation to improve the interchanges.
“Thank you to the Governor and the General Assembly for their in of this generational investment of I-70 for Missouri’s future,” said Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Chairman W. Dustin Boatwright. “Today’s event in Columbia is just the first step to transform I-70 across the state. While we celebrate today, we are actively working on the next bid package, and we look forward to the completion of the entire I-70 corridor by late 2030.”
Phase two of the work is expected to begin in the St. Louis area in May of 2025 while drivers in the Kansas City area will see construction begin in August 2025.
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