JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Motorists traveling eastbound Interstate 70 through Columbia this weekend should be prepared for significant delays and are encouraged to plan an alternate route, if possible.
One lane of eastbound I-70 between Boone County Route B (Paris Road) and U.S. Route 63 will be closed around the clock from 7 p.m. Friday, April 11, to 6 a.m. Monday, April 14. Additionally, there will be multiple brief full closures of eastbound I-70 lasting up to 15 minutes each throughout the weekend. Motorists should be prepared for slow or stopped traffic and anticipate 30-minute delays.
These closures are necessary for construction crews working with the Missouri Department of Transportation to remove the permanently closed left-hand exit from westbound I-70 to Business Loop 70. The new design for Business Loop 70 includes a roundabout providing direct access to and from eastbound I-70. This will help improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion at the I-70/U.S. Route 63 interchange.
All work is weather-permitting and subject to change.
MoDOT asks all motorists to work with us by buckling up, putting your phone down, obeying all traffic signs, and slowing down and moving over in work zones.
This work is part of the first project in MoDOT’s Statewide Improve I-70 Program, Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City, which will add a third lane of travel in each direction to the 20-mile stretch of I-70 between Columbia) and Kingdom City. This $405 million fixed-cost contract includes new pavement on all three lanes of I-70 and will also make interchange improvements to the I-70 interchanges at U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 54.
Missouri’s FY2024 budget, approved through the state legislative process and governor provides, $2.8 billion in General Revenue to build a third lane of I-70 across the state. The program will plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate, and add a third lane in each direction on nearly 200 miles of I-70, from Blue Springs to Wentzville. For more information on the Improve I-70 Program and to sign up for program e-mails, visit http://www.modot.org/improvei70.
For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.
###
