MoDOT meets with Columbia leaders to discuss beautifying Interstate 70

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation met with Boone County stakeholders to discuss what local funding can do to improve Interstate 70 as a lane is added to each side of the highway.

Improve I-70 Program Director Eric Kopinski said the goal of Wednesday's meeting with Boone County commissioners, Columbia Chamber of Commerce representatives and others was to nail down the beautification aspects of MoDOT's Rocheport-to-Columbia project. Local contractor Emery Sapp and Sons is leading that project, which is expected to start in the spring.

MoDOT has state funding to construct additional lanes, but would need local funding to update outer roads and add trees or fences.

"You're going to see that as we start to make improvements this year, and even next year, that this will kind of be branded like Missouri-Columbia part of the corridor," Kopinski said.

MoDOT's first project, Columbia to Kingdom City, received funding from the City of Columbia, the University of Missouri and local businesses, Kopinski said.

Kopinski said decisions on how to enhance the highway west of Columbia need to be made within the next two to three weeks.

"We need decisions and also commitments for that funding that we can secure that and begin to move forward because the impacts for this next phase of the project, they're going to happen very quickly," Kopinski said.

Kopinski said there will also be a public meeting in early March, before construction on the 14-mile Columbia-to-Rocheport project starts. The project is expected to cost about $441 million, which Kopinski said has already been allocated and can be completed within that amount.