Interstate 70 Roadway Realignment in St. Charles

Public hearings scheduled for second Improve I-70 project from Warrenton to Wentzville

JEFFERSON CITY – The public is invited to public hearings regarding the Improve I-70: Warrenton to Wentzville project from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, in Warrenton, and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, in Wentzville. This is the second construction project in MoDOT’s Statewide Improve I-70 Program and will add a third lane of travel in each direction to Interstate 70 from Warrenton to Wentzville. The Warrenton to Wentzville project includes the Improve I-70 funding and additional legislatively designated General Revenue funding. It also includes previously allocated funds in the state’s program for other I-70 and I-64 projects for a total contract cost of $600 million.

These meetings will highlight the basic design plans, construction phasing, schedule, and other detailed information about the project. Construction is expected to start in Spring 2025 and be completed by late 2028.

The open house-style hearings will provide the opportunity for nearby residents, businesses, and travelers to learn about and provide comments regarding the planned improvements. No formal presentation will be made. The public can attend the meetings any time between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The information will be the same at each meeting location. Engineers from the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Improve 70 Alliance contractor team of Emery Sapp and Sons, Clarkson Construction, HNTB, and Bartlett and West will be on hand to answer questions.

Written and recorded oral statements and exhibits can be submitted at the hearing. People can also review materials and make comments on the project website beginning on Monday, Feb. 3, at www.modot.org/improvei70/warrentonwentzville.  All comments must be received by Thursday, March 6.

The meeting details and locations are:

• Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Warrenton High School Commons Area located at 803 Pinckney St. Warrenton, MO 63383.
   
• Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Progress Park Recreation Center located at 968 Meyer Rd. Wentzville, MO 63385.
   

The planned improvements from contractor team includes:

• Constructing a third lane in each direction on I-70 from Warrenton to I-64 in Wentzville, including replacing the existing I-70 lanes with new full-depth concrete pavement.
• Interchange improvements at I-70 and the I-64/Route 61 interchange.
• Interchange and outer road improvements in Foristell, Wright City, Warrenton, and at Route Z.
• Realignment at the railroad bridge on I-70 between Wentzville Parkway and Route Z.
• Addition of a third lane of travel to eastbound and westbound I-64 between I-70 and Route K.
• The team has also committed to keeping two lanes of travel open on I-70 in both directions during peak travel times.

Missouri’s FY2024 budget from the General Assembly signed into law by Governor Parson provides $2.8 billion in General Revenue for the costs 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.

At the public hearing, MoDOT will also have displays regarding bridge and interchange improvements planned at Exit 188, Routes A and B, and Exit 183, Routes E and Y at Jonesburg.  The improvements at these locations were funded through MoDOT’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) prior to receiving the I-70 General Revenue funds.  The projects are anticipated to be awarded in March 2025 with construction occurring in 2025 and 2026.

People with disabilities who require special services or other reasonable accommodations at the public hearing should notify Project Communications Coordinator Lairyn McGregor at 816-607-2152 by Monday, Jan. 27, so arrangements for those services can be made.

Why is this project needed?

This section of I-70 sees a lot of congestion due to high traffic volume in the area, as well as the alignment of the interstate beneath the railroad bridge. This portion of I-70 was originally constructed in the 1950s and is no longer capable of reliably handling the traffic volumes in the area. However, the existing railroad bridge over the interstate limits the options for widening and improving the road. Currently, I-70 between Wentzville Parkway and Route Z is two lanes with narrow inside and outside shoulders as it crosses beneath the railroad. The area just to the east of this stretch of I-70 is the I-70/I-64 interchanges, which has been identified as one of the greatest bottlenecks in the St. Louis region. The 20-mile section of I-70 from the I-70/I-64 interchange to Warrenton experienced an estimated user delay cost of $12.7 million in 2016. Reconstructing and expanding even a portion of this stretch of I-70 will improve the safety, reliability, and capacity of the interstate for both freight and passenger vehicles.

What exactly is being done? 

MoDOT investigated three alternatives to improve traffic congestion in this area. All three alternatives included plans to improve safety and decrease congestion by revising the I-70 alignment, widening a portion of the interstate, and addressing the railroad bridge. Roadway, traffic, and railroad impacts associated with each option were reviewed and studied, along with the development of estimated construction costs.

The first proposed alternative realigns I-70 to the southwest and raises the grade to cross over the railroad. This is what is shown in the previous Improve I-70 study completed in 2006:

The second alternative, which is the preferred alternative, widens and slightly realigns I-70 to the southwest including constructing a new Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge crossing over I-70.

The third alternative relocates eastbound I-70 to the southwest and adjusts the elevation to cross over the railroad, while widening and leaving westbound I-70 in its current location underneath the railroad.

VIEW ALTERNATIVES ONE, TWO, AND THREE

Why is Alternative 2 the Preferred Alternative? 

Alternative 2 has less impacts to adjacent properties.  I-70 crossing over NSRR as detailed in Alternatives 1 & 3 would require a significant raise in grade on I-70.  This would cause trucks to slow down as they climbed the grade.  Alternative 2 is also the least costly of the alternatives analyzed and represents the best value to the public. 

How much will this project cost? 

This project has been coordinated into Improve I-70: Warrenton to Wentzville as part of MoDOT's Statewide Improve I-70 Program. Please visit the https://www.modot.org/improvei70/warrentonwentzville for continued updates.