State transportation officials say they want to take as much traffic off Columbia’s busy I-70 and Highway 63 connector as they can, with the massive new I-70 project that begins in July.
The Missouri Department of Transportation says 160,000 vehicles go through the I-70 and Highway 63 interchange daily, making it mid-Missouri’s busiest interchange. MoDOT project director Jeff Gander.
“That’s why we have the two direct connect ramps. Our contractor took it a little farther with some of the stuff they designed, to take even more traffic out of there,” Mr. Gander says.
Mr. Gander tells 939 the Eagle that the $405-million I-70 Columbia to Kingdom City project will begin after the Fourth of July. He also says that they’ll build everything they an off-line to limit the impact on traffic near I-70 and Highway 63:
“Before we actually close the connector bridge, we’re going to have both direct connects open and all four roundabouts as well, trying to take as much traffic off of that bridge as we can before we ever tear it down to rebuild it,” says Gander.
He expects the $405-million I-70 Columbia to Kingdom City project to begin on I-70 east of Columbia near Routes M and J. Click here to read more about the project.