ST. LOUIS — For decades it’s been one of the main arteries through the American heartland, but Missouri lawmakers believe it's time for Interstate 70 to get a facelift.
“It’s part of the oldest infrastructure in the country,” Senator Lincoln Hough said. “It’s about 70 years old.”
“For years congestion, traffic accidents, and delays have become a serious issue for commuters on I-70,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said.
In an effort to improve I-70, Parson pushed forward an $859 million plan focused on expanding the interstate around the St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City metro areas.
“For those who say we can’t afford it I say we can’t afford not to,” Parson said.
“Anybody who has driven across the middle part of the state between Kansas City and St. Louis knows the infrastructure is in need of some pretty serious repair work,” Hough said.
Hough said he believes it’s time to rework I-70 across the entire state by adding a third lane at a cost of roughly $3 billion.
“The further out we push this patch work of taking care of our infrastructure the worse it gets,” Hough said. “We’re not talking about overlaying asphalt. We’re talking about digging up and replacing the entire road, the bed, all the way up to the surface that you’re driving on.”
Hough said it’s time to push the pedal forward on the project thanks to a state surplus.
“This is probably as shovel ready as you can be,” he said.
As chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Hough must submit his final budget proposal to Parson on May 5.
If approved, Hough said he believes we could see work begin on I-70 as early as fall 2023.
For more information on MoDOT’s plan to improve I-70 click here.
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