An $859-million proposal from Missouri’s governor to widen and rebuild I-70 across the state is backed by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, which has about 1,000 members.
Columbia Chamber president Matt McCormick tells 939 the Eagle that they’re asking state lawmakers to approve the plan.
“So there’s basically three areas across the state that are going to benefit from that, and really everybody benefits from better traffic flow. But St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia being in the middle. So we’re really looking forward to that, that’s something that’s been one of our top priorities is enhancing I-70,” McCormick says.
If the plan is approved, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) plans to spend at least $185-million to three-lane I-70 for a 13-mile stretch in the Columbia area, from Midway to Route Z. Governor Mike Parson (R) says his plan would improve the economy and would also reduce traffic injuries and deaths. The governor outlined his proposal during his State of the State address in mid-January.
Mr. McCormick emphasizes that the governor’s $859-million I-70 plan is separate from MoDOT’s $140-million preferred alternative for the I-70 and Highway 63 interchange. McCormick says the Chamber supports both plans.
“Whenever the governor came out with his proposal of the $859-million, we started getting asked well is all the work that we’re doing on 63 and I-70 corridor lumped into that $859 (million) or is that separate. And it’s separate. So that’s already been allocated and dedicated for that project,” says McCormick.
Missouri transportation officials have unveiled a $140-million preferred alternative for Columbia’s I-70 and 63 interchange. The proposed plan is called a SPUI, which is a single point urban interchange. MoDOT says about 160,000 vehicles go through the I-70 and 63 interchange daily, making it mid-Missouri’s busiest interchange.
