Missouri, Kansas start I-70 improvement jobs

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Along I-70, a highway that begins in Utah and winds east through the Midwest before terminating near Baltimore, two states are gearing up for major road improvement work.

Officials in Missouri broke ground last week on an I-70 extension project from Warrenton to Wentzville , according to a March 20 news release from the Missouri DOT. The work contract is worth $600 million, which is the largest single contract in the state DOT’s history. The funding comes from Missouri’s fiscal year 2024 budget and previously allocated cash in the state’s program for other I-70 and I-64 projects, according to the release.

Missouri DOT awarded the contract to the Improve 70 Alliance, a design-build joint venture made up of Columbia, Missouri-based Emery Sapp and Sons; Topeka, Kansas-based Bartlett and West; and Kansas City, Missouri-based firms Clarkson Construction and HNTB.

As part of the work, Improve 70 Alliance will build a third lane in each direction from Warrenton to I-64 in Wentzville and replace the existing I-70 lanes with new full-depth concrete pavement, per the release. The contractors will also add a third lane of travel to eastbound and westbound I-64 between I-70 and Route K.

In the Sunflower State

In Kansas, Bettis Koss Construction — a JV of Topeka-based Bettis Asphalt & Construction and Koss Construction Co. — has broken ground on the I-70 Polk-Quincy Viaduct project , Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced on March 14.

The construction extends along a 2.5-mile stretch of I-70 from Macvicar Avenue to 6th Avenue and local roadways in Topeka, according to the news release. Funding for the project comes from the Kansas DOT’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program , a 10-year, nearly $10 billion investment that aims to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure, per the program page.

The team will replace the aging viaduct , according to the project page, in order to enhance safety, reduce congestion and improve connectivity to surrounding communities.

Work is underway and will continue through to late 2027 per the release. In 2025, teams will focus on constructing the new viaduct and widening I-70 west to Macvicar, according to the project page.

“While the Polk-Quincy viaduct has served the community for over 60 years, we are investing in a modern and more efficient I-70 that will better serve residents, businesses and visitors well into the future,” Kelly told attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony on March 14.