You’ll see at least three members of Columbia’s city council and city manager De’Carlon Seewood at this morning’s groundbreaking ceremony for the $405-million project to rebuild and expand I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City.
Governor Mike Parson and state transportation officials will be wearing hard hats when they break ground at 10 am at the Drury Plaza hotel parking lot, which overlooks the I-70 and Highway 63 interchange. Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen tells 939 the Eagle that Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, fourth ward councilman Nick Foster and fifth ward councilman Donald Waterman plan to attend, along with Mr. Seewood.
Governor Parson signed bipartisan legislation in August providing $2.8 billion to reconstruct and expand I-70 to six lanes from Blue Springs to Wentzville. The first phase will be the 20 miles from Columbia to Kingdom City. MoDOT plans to install new concrete pavement on all three lanes in each direction from Columbia to Kingdom City.
Work will start after the Fourth of July east of Columbia, near Routes M and J.