I-70 Transportation District awaits hearing; I-70 repairs to start tonight

An $8 million repair project on a 15 mile stretch of I-70 will start around 7 p.m. Monday night.

State legislators are proposing bills that they think will help fund more repair projects on I-70 in the future.

House Bill 836, sponsored by Rep. Bart Korman, is waiting to be heard by a committee and, if passed, would create an I-70 Regional Transportation District.

The district would be governed by a board comprised of three members of each county represented in the district: Montgomery, Cooper, Saline, Warren, Lafayette, Callaway, Boone, St. Charles and Jackson.

The district could ask voters by ballot if it can charge and collect an additional tax or fee to fund future projects along I-70.

This bill is the same as HB 2721 that was proposed in 2016. HB 2721 passed in the House Transportation Committee and was then referred to the Select Committee on State and Local Governments, but did not go further.