When construction of I-70 began in St. Charles County in 1956, Missouri was deemed the birthplace of the interstate. With time, however, many portions of the thoroughfare have become strained beyond capacity and feature outdated interchange designs. The $426 million Improve I-70 from Columbia to Kingdom City project will update the corridor by adding a third lane to I-70 in both directions from U.S. Route 63 in Columbia and Route 54 in Kingdom City.

"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 on nearly 200 miles of Interstate 70, from Blue Springs to Wentzville," Eric Kopinski, Improve I-70 program director, told Construction Equipment Guide.

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"The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has worked to establish the best plan to be efficient and innovative in how this will be delivered. The Columbia to Kingdom City project was selected as the first project of the program, as this portion had already completed all the environmental requirements."

As of May 2025, the Improve I-70 individual project limits have been updated and now include eight total project segments across the state. Total completion of the corridor is anticipated by the end of 2030.

Kopinski said providing a third lane of travel for eastbound and westbound Interstate 70 from Columbia to Kingdom City is critical.

"The safety and economic prosperity of Missourians depend, in part, on an I-70 that grows along with the state and nation. That's why MoDOT is working to improve I-70. The third lane, along with all of the other improvements being made along the corridor, will put Missouri in position to have quality and safe roads for years to come.

"Additionally, when incidents occur on I-70, it typically shuts down both available lanes of traffic in that direction. By providing a third lane, MoDOT hopes to be able to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently when incidents occur."

Enhancing I-70/U.S. 63 and I-70/U.S. 54 interchanges will result in better traffic flow and movement of freight.

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"The I-70 and U.S. Route 63 interchange currently experiences some of the highest traffic volumes in the state," said Kopinski. "Reliability over the years has become poor. Motorists who utilize this area find there isn't a great way to determine how long it will take to travel through. As the project team looked at increased traffic projections for the next twenty years, the interchange as it exists today becomes even more congested and unreliable."

This design-build project was awarded in February 2024. When completed in December 2027, this improved interchange will help with connectivity and redundancy for the interchange.

"The most heavily traveled movements will also be removed from the interchange through use of direct connections [eastbound I-70 to southbound U.S. Route 63] and flyover ramps [northbound U.S. Route 63 to westbound I-70]", Kopinski explained. "By using advanced traffic modeling, the area also is assured these improvements will continue to be effective for years to come.

"By changing the vertical clearance of several overpasses, the ability to more efficiently move freight along I-70 in this area will greatly improve."

Changes to the I-70 and U.S. Route 54 interchange include reconstructing the current diamond interchange into a large dual-lane roundabout. This eliminates the existing signals and accommodates larger radii for semi-trucks navigating the interchange.

It allows these vehicles to remain moving, where previously they would be stopped at the current signalized intersections. It permits semi-trucks and passenger vehicles to travel at a more consistent speed, providing constant flow through the interchange. The I-70 exit ramp will be constructed to accommodate the large amounts of traffic produced by Lake of the Ozarks traffic on summer weekends and holidays.

According to Kopinski, the I-70 corridor is vital to the state and the region.

"By connecting the two largest cities in the state — Kansas City and St. Louis — this corridor has over $113 billion of the national GDP depending on the corridor. With Kansas City and St. Louis being the second and third largest rail hubs and third and eighth largest ports on the Mississippi River, this corridor is crucial to both local businesses and residents. The I-70 statewide corridor is one of the most critical routes for freight in the Midwest."

Kopinski noted that improvements along I-70 across the state have been discussed at various levels for the past three decades.

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"With funding now in place and traffic impacts significant, the public has shown a great deal of understanding and patience with the construction. Having an aggressive schedule has been welcomed by the local businesses and residents, as everyone is excited about how the system will be improved when construction is completed."

Millstone Weber was selected as the project's general contractor.

"Millstone Weber has a long history of delivering some of the most challenging projects for MoDOT," said Kopinski. "Their commitment to safety and quality on major projects has allowed them to hit the ground running with this complex project."

There are 60,000 daily travelers who depend on this section of I-70, which is a major concern while improvements are being made.

"Getting each and every one of them to slow down and stay alert is the biggest challenge," said Kopinski. "The project team has experienced an increase in distracted driving, which only compounds the challenges."

Currently, there's significant utility coordination taking place, along with earthwork grading, concrete paving and bridge work. Approximately 125 workers are working day and night, six days a week, to complete the aggressive schedule.

Significant paving and bridge work remain within the project limits; however, paving of the third lane in each direction along I-70 has been completed along a 7-mi. section of roadway in central Missouri. This progress includes significant earthwork, paving a new lane eastbound and westbound and completely reconstructing the existing two lanes of I-70 pavement with new full-depth concrete.

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Crews will reconstruct roughly 100 lane miles of full depth concrete pavement and will construct or rebuild 27 bridges and modernize two significant interchanges. All the work will be done while minimizing impacts to the traveling public and local area.

One of the box culvert replacements required the contractor to deal with a 45-ft. excavation while keeping I-70 traffic moving just a few feet away. A carefully planned design and careful construction with effective temporary shoring helped the replacement be successful.

Approximately 1,000,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved on the project. Heavy equipment includes cranes, multiple pavers, placers, dozers and dump trucks. The chief material is concrete.

"The original pavement on I-70 is from the late 1950s," said Kopinski. "It's been almost 70 years since we've done significant paving on I-70. Every night there's around 1,500 to 2,000 cu. yds. of concrete placed on I-70."

The work can be difficult and the hours long, but Kopinski said the team is staying focused.

"When construction is complete, this will be transformational in the area, and will put Missouri in a position to have one of its most important corridors ready for the next generation. By completing this historic project on time and on budget, it will put Missouri in excellent position to grow for decades to come."  CEG