Public meetings, comment period for I-70 project start next week

As the planning stage of the Improve Interstate 70 project continues, the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin accepting public feedback on Aug. 28.

Wentzville, Mo., City Hall will be the site of the first public meeting on Monday, while an online comment forum will also go live that same day and remain open through Sept. 22.

The project addresses a 200-mile stretch of I-70 between Blue Springs, Mo., and Wentzville, Mo., that is strained beyond capacity and outdated, MoDOT says.

Missouri’s first and oldest  I-70 project dates back to 1956 in St. Charles County.

Enhancements to I-70 through this project would include a third lane of travel, modernizing pavement and bridges and increasing the efficiency of freight movement while minimizing construction impacts.

MoDOT said the overall goal of Improve I-70 is “to provide a safe, efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effective transportation facility that responds to corridor needs as well as expectations of a national interstate.”

Public meeting details

No formal presentations will be made at the open house meetings. However, MoDOT engineers are scheduled to provide preliminary information, possible construction schedules and next steps.

The public can attend anytime during the advertised meeting time.

Information provided will be the same at each of the eight meetings.

Below is a list of scheduled meetings:

• 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 28, Wentzville City Hall Board of Alderman Meeting Room, Wentzville
• 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 29, Warren County Administration Building, Warrenton
• 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 30, Concordia Community Center, Concordia
• 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 31, Jonesburg Elementary School Gym, Jonesburg
• 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 5, Jackson County Fire Protection District Education Center, Blue Springs
• 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 6, Battle High School Auxiliary Gym, Columbia
• 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 7, Hannah Cole Primary School Gym, Boonville

To sign up for updates or find more information about Improve I-70, visit the project website. LL

More Land Line coverage of Missouri.