Debates over I-70 expansion funding hits project with roadblock
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Officials hoping to expand I-70 are at a crossroads. Gov. Mike Parson proposed the $859 million “Improve I-70 project” in January, aiming to improve areas of the interstate and expand parts into three lanes.
However, the topic of funding has temporarily placed a hold on plans. In making budget cuts towards the end of March, House committee chair Representative Cody Smith (R-Carthage) said the state should use funds from HB-19 instead of making funds specifically for I-70.
“I generally agree with the House when they take spending items out of the budget,” State Sen. Bill Eigel (R-St. Charles) said. “However, I think there's a lot of other things that we can remove from the budget before we start removing major infrastructure priorities.”
The roadblock doesn’t mean it’s the end of the conversation though. Officials from both sides of the debate said they anticipate the project to be brought up in future budget conversations.
“It's a big project,” Eigel added. “We may only get one shot at this, let's make sure we do it right.”
Recent support to expand the interstate has been in discussion since December– when Eigel pre-filed a bill to use part of Missouri's $6 billion surplus for funding. Parson’s plans look a little different, breaking the focus to five points along I-70.
Those areas include Kansas City, Western rural Missouri, Columbia, Eastern rural Missouri and St. Louis. According to MoDot, parts of the interstate that run through Columbia see an average of 50,100 vehicles daily.
Funds focused on improving parts of Columbia include a planned $185 million, aimed at improving the Route 63 exit and fixing pavement issues. Another $410 million that have yet to be funded would go towards creating new bridges, reconstructing pavement and adding a new lane in both directions. Those lanes would last about 13 miles.
On the other hand, some representatives think the focus should be aimed at improving Interstate 44– which sees some heavy truck and vehicle traffic from St. Louis to Southwest parts of the state.
Regardless, the timeline of the project’s completion could still be years down the road. Eigel said the state could be looking at anywhere between seven and nine years in the future.
“There's never a bad time to start that discussion… we should have started it a year ago,” Eigel said. “Now here we are, so the only thing we can do now is let's not waste any more time. Let's get this done.”
