The state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) plans to award a construction project for the 12-mile stretch of I-70 between Boonville and Rocheport in 2026. That stretch is interstate is located in the district of State Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg):
“I know that this is going to be very important for all the listeners as well as my constituents along I-70. This is a big project. There’s a lot of traffic that comes through on I-70 and this will finally give three lanes going each way to help ease that traffic congestion,” Senator Hoskins says.
Senator Hoskins’ district includes Cooper and Howard counties. He tells 939 the Eagle that MoDOT has to coordinate the design of I-70 over the Union Pacific railroad near Overton. The project could adjust based on how quickly Union Pacific works with MoDOT:
“We have to coordinate with the railroad to make sure that they can get the railroad still going through and coordinate the timing with them. Hopefully they will be ready sooner rather than later. You know we don’t want any delays in this project,” says Hoskins.
MoDOT began construction on the massive $405-million project to rebuild and six-lane I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City on Monday. Senator Hoskins tells 939 the Eagle that the project, when done, will be great for mid-Missouri, both for travelers and truckers and for his constituents in Cooper and Howard counties.
State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield), who represents Callaway County, has urged residents to be patient with the project.