SPRINGFIELD, MO — The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) has selected The Capital-CMT Team as the apparent best-value proposer and design-build contractor of the next project in the Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT) Forward 44 Program. The winning proposal was selected from a competitive field of four teams, prioritizing projects at five locations across the region from Fidelity to Laclede County. The team consists of contractor Capital Paving and Construction with designer Crawford Murphy Tilly (CMT). Negotiations to finalize the contract are currently in progress.
Forward 44: Southwest I-44 Improvements Project is a $471 million project that will prioritize improvements along the I-44 corridor at five key locations including:
- Major interchanges at I-44/I-49N in Fidelity and I-44/MO13 in Springfield
- Widening to six lanes in the Greater Springfield Area
- Pavement and safety improvements in Greene, Webster, and Laclede counties
- Bridge improvements at Route EE in Springfield
- Pavement improvements in Lawrence County
Missouri’s fiscal year 2024 budget from the General Assembly provided $20 million in General Revenue for the I-44 environmental study from the Oklahoma state line to Route 100 in Franklin County, which was completed in May 2025. The fiscal year 2025 General Assembly provided $577.5 million in General Revenue for corridor improvements along I-44. The Forward 44: Southwest I-44 Improvements Project includes $328 million of General Revenue and $143 million of STIP funds.
“[The] selection of The Capital-CMT Team as the design-build contractor for the Forward 44: Southwest I-44 Improvements Project is a major step forward for MoDOT’s Statewide Forward 44 Program,” MHTC Chairman Warren Erdman said. “This effort continues to look at innovative opportunities to deliver major projects with the greatest value to serve the citizens of Missouri for many years to come.”
| Your local Leica Geosystems Inc dealer |
|---|
| Laser Specialist inc |
| Laser Specialist inc |
| Laser Specialist inc |
The next steps include finalizing the contract, doing more detailed design of the roadway and interchanges, and outlining the construction schedule with traffic control plans. MoDOT will host public information meetings in summer 2026 as these details are available. Construction is scheduled to begin later in 2026, with an anticipated completion in November 2031.
