Another major piece of Missouri’s Interstate 70 expansion is now underway. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday in Columbia to celebrate.
The $441 million project adds a third lane to I‑70 between Rocheport and Columbia, part of a broader effort to widen the corridor across the state. During the ceremony, state leaders said the expansion is aimed at improving safety, easing congestion and supporting economic growth in central Missouri.
Governor Mike Kehoe speaks in Columbia on Improve I-70 project. Photo by Missourinet News reporter Matt Pilger.
Gov. Mike Kehoe attended the ceremony and pointed to Missouri’s long history of investing in transportation infrastructure.
“What we started, the interstate system was in St. Charles, Missouri, just 70 years ago,” Kehoe said. “So, Missouri’s history of investing in infrastructure, understanding what it does for the safety of our communities, understanding what it does for economic development, is clear and is well documented.”
The Rocheport‑to‑Columbia project is one segment of the overall $2.8 billion Interstate 70 expansion, which stretches across the state and is expected to be completed by the end of 2030.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R‑Mo., who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, also attended Thursday’s event and announced a funding request for a companion project within the city of Columbia.
“This request for just over $7.7 million will help expand I‑70 through the city by adding a third lane in both directions, making sure that this growth doesn’t stop at the edge of this project, but continues through the heart of Columbia,” Alford said.
State and federal leaders say work on Interstate 70 will continue in phases, with the goal of delivering a fully expanded corridor by the end of the decade.
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