Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri has secured a $92.8 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant to improve 200 miles of Interstate-70, from Blue Springs to Wentzville.
Missouri will use the INFRA grant for specific Improve I-70 projects, including truck parking, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), work zone safety technology, and workforce development, all to enhance the efforts of adding an additional lane to I-70.
"For decades the expansion of I-70 was talked about in the State Capitol. After decades of inaction, our administration, with the help of the General Assembly, secured a historic investment of $2.8 billion last year to add a third lane across our state," said Gov. Parson in a statement. "This additional grant money will help us build upon our historic investment and continue our administration's commitment to improving our state's infrastructure. We thank Congressman Graves for his leadership in securing this grant, the largest transportation grant Missouri has ever received."
The overall goal of the Improve I-70 project across Missouri is to provide a safe, efficient, environmentally sound, and cost-effective transportation that responds to corridor needs as a national interstate. Missouri’s FY2024 budget provides $2.8 billion in general revenue for the costs to plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate, and repair three lanes in each direction.
The first Improve I-70 project's contract is scheduled to be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for approval at its February 14, 2024 meeting. The first phase of the project includes the segment of interstate from Route 63 in Columbia to Route 54 in Kingdom City. Construction on this first segment could start as early as summer 2024.
The second project will focus on the segment from Warrenton to Wentzville and the third from Blue Springs to Odessa. Projects two and three are scheduled to be under construction in 2025.
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Source: Office of Governor Mike Parson
