Heads up, drivers: Your commute through Kingdom City might hit a snag starting the first week of April. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has announced a rescheduling of the daytime single-lane closure on Interstate 70. Originally slated to take place this week, the closure, which is necessary for the removal of a railroad bridge west of U.S. Route 54, will now begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 4, and continue until 6 a.m. Sunday, April 6. During this time, one lane of east and westbound I-70, between mile markers 147.4 and 148, will be inaccessible to traffic.

While the changes to schedules are often an inconvenience, motorists should be aware that the updated timeline is subject to the whims of weather. Continuing work around the clock will be seen, with workers present during the weekend-long effort to dismantle the aging railway overpass. As with any construction project of this scale, we're reminded by MoDOT officials that "All work is weather-permitting and subject to change."

The construction work is not a fleeting disruption but part of a grander plan that stretches through to 2027. The "Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City" initiative is an ambitious project aimed at adding a third lane of travel in each direction to the 20-mile stretch of I-70 between U.S. Route 63 and Route 54. Not only does it boast re-pavement of all three lanes, but interchange improvements at Route 63 and Route 54 are also on the agenda. With workers and machinery a constant on this corridor, slowdowns are a given. Drivers should heed the advice to "Buckle Up. Phone Down" in work zones, as mentioned on MoDOT .

In the broader scope, Missouri has made a significant financial commitment to highway improvements. Part of the state's FY2024 budget, to the tune of $2.8 billion in General Revenue, is earmarked to create space for a third lane of I-70 extending nearly 200 miles from Blue Springs to Wentzville. Described as a "fixed-cost contract" by MoDOT , the $405 million deal within Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City is set to “make interchange improvements” as per the program's policies to plan, design, construct, and rehabilitate this vital thoroughfare. The deadline set for the completion of the full length of this road renovation endeavor is targeted for late 2027, effectively laying the groundwork for Missouri's future in infrastructure and transport.