ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Transportation, working with consultants from Burns & McDonnell, has begun the next stage in the project planning process for the I-229 corridor and Double-Decker Bridge in downtown St. Joseph. In 2025, the I-229 Moving Forward Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed. A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the preferred alternative, which will remove the bridge and replace it with a four-lane roadway.
The I-229 project team will be working through the summer of 2026 to collect survey data, define right of way and environmental impacts, coordinate with the railroad, conduct stakeholder and public outreach, and begin conceptual design work. The team will also be working through the FHWA process to dedesignate I-229 as an interstate.
In the fall of 2026, MoDOT is expected to make a determination if the project will be constructed via the Design-Bid-Build or Design-Build process. Project design is anticipated to begin in 2027, with construction planned for 2028-2030.
More information regarding the project, including timeline and the preferred alternative, can be found on the updated project webpage at: https://www.modot.org/projects/stjoe229.
###
I-229 Moving Forward Webpage: