I-70 has immediate needs that must be met. In doing so, MoDOT must ensure that dollars spent today are not wasted tomorrow. To accomplish that goal, MoDOT launched “Improve I-70.”

Improve I-70 is an umbrella term used to describe a group of past and current studies of I-70 between Independence and St. Louis. Improve I-70 continues the work of the initial I-70 Improvement Study, an Environmental Impact Statement that explored responses to the condition of I-70 and selected the strategy of widening and reconstructing the existing route.

The Second Tier Improve I-70 studies took that strategy to the next level of detail, working with local communities to determine the location and basic configuration of I-70 improvements. This effort resulted in both a long-term vision and a short term plan for I-70, ensuring that improvements made in the coming years are in sync with the ultimate facility.

The Improve I-70 SEIS is a further continuation of that work, comparing the impacts, costs and benefits determined in the Improve I-70 studies with the impacts, costs and benefits of rebuilding the highway with truck only lanes.

Currently, no funding is allocated for the design or construction of any major I-70 improvements. Without an increase in funding, long-term improvements to I-70 may never be affordable to Missouri and tough decisions will need to be made regarding what can be done with the funding available.

But the lack of funding does not eliminate the need for sound planning. Completion of the Improve I-70 studies helped ensure that all decisions about I-70 improvements are made in an open, collaborative way while balancing environmental issues and community concerns. Study results also will help MoDOT, local communities, and potentially affected businesses and property owners prepare for the future.

See The Process page to get an overview of the events leading to Improve I-70.

Visit The Project page to learn more about what lies ahead.