JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) announces the selection of two consultants to lead an environmental study of the more than 250 miles of Interstate 44 from the Oklahoma state line to the Route 100 East interchange near Gray Summit in Franklin County. The selected consultants, Hg Consult, Inc. and Garver, will each study a stretch of the corridor, which has been divided into two sections for the purpose of the study. Hg Consult will study the stretch from the Oklahoma state line to the Route 17 interchange near St. Robert, and Garver will study from St. Robert to the Route 100 East interchange at Gray Summit.   “I-44 was completed in 1966 and serves as an important corridor for not only passenger travel but a key commercial trucking corridor in Missouri,” said Greg Chapman, MoDOT Assistant Southwest District Engineer. “This study is a critical step to prepare for future projects on I-44 that will focus on improving safety and reliability in this vital east-west link across Missouri.” The goal of the study is to update and validate the outcomes of the 2008 Purpose and Need Study and provide the opportunity for public input from stakeholders along the I-44 corridor. The study will also divide the more than 250 miles of the I-44 corridor into logical segments for further study and prioritize those segments for more detailed design and ultimately for construction when funds are available.   Missouri’s fiscal year 2024 budget from the General Assembly, signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson, provides $20 million of general revenue for the environmental study.