What stretches of I-70 might get more lanes in Missouri? Here’s what we know so far

A lot is still unclear about Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s $859 million proposal to expand I-70 to six lanes in stretches near Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis in an effort to curtail congestion.

For one, the proposal is just that, a proposal. The governor presented the idea as part of his State of the State address and proposed budget earlier in the week, and many lawmakers see it as a possible first step toward one day widening the freeway across the entire state.

The state legislature will need to approve any plans before they move forward, and any number of details could change during that approval process. It could potentially be several years before an I-70 project is completed in Missouri.

What sections of I-70 might be expanded?

In Kansas City, the governor is looking to expand a 20-mile stretch of the highway from Blue Springs to Odessa in Lafayette County.

The proposal also includes 20 miles near suburban St. Louis and 13 miles near suburban Columbia — the spots with the most travelers.

House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said the state would likely take a “piecemeal approach” to fix the areas near Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia and then tackle other parts of the highway in the future.

How much would this cost?

The governor’s proposal carries an $859 million price tag.

The money for I-70 would come from state, not federal, funds. The state will tap into its expansive budget surplus for the project, the governor’s office told reporters.

What still needs to happen?

The legislature needs to approve the plan. State lawmakers could decide to fund it exactly as the governor proposed it, not fund it at all or make changes to the plan.

At this point there’s no guarantee that the interstate expansion will happen exactly as Parson suggests.

What do we know about the timeline?

We won’t know if there will be money for the project, or how much money, until the state budget process later this spring.

Then, a design process would kick off that could take months, and the state would need to get bids to hire contractors for the project.

It could possibly take years for an I-70 expansion project to be completed.

What do we know about highway expansions in general?

State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed support of Parson’s proposal. The discussion also comes at a time when across the country, experts are debating whether or not roads and building additional infrastructure actually reduces congestion.

The Star’s Kacen Bayless and Jonathan Shorman contributed reporting.

What questions do you have about I-70? Let us know at kcq@kcstar.com.