Commission approves Missouri Department of Transportation transportation program

The state’s Highways and Transportation Commission approved the Missouri Department of Transportation’s statewide construction program this week.

The $700 million transportation improvement program lists all projects planned for a five-year period, from 2014 to 2018.

The largest project in Mid-Missouri will be a new interchange at Route 50 and Lafayette Street in Jefferson City.

MODOT Assistant District Engineer Travis Koestner told ABC 17 News the $17 million project could start as early as late 2014. The interchange will take two years to complete.

While that will be a significant project, most of the work in the five years is designed to maintain current roads and bridges rather than rebuild or expand.

However, MoDOT does want to replace the I-70 bridge over West Boulevard in Columbia. The $9.5 million project is expected to happen sometime in the next five years.

Among other projects in Mid-Missouri, MoDOT plans to repave Providence Road from I-70 to Route K in the winter of 2014. Other repaving projects include parts of I-70 through Mid-Missouri, Highway 63 from Columbia to Highway 54 near Jefferson City, Highway 54 in Callaway, Cole and Camden counties, and Highway 50 in Cole County.

As for the I-70 and Highway 63 Connector, Koestner said the construction program only calls for preventive maintenance on the pavement surface there.

You can find all of the planned road projects here.