KANSAS CITY, MO — The groundbreaking of the third project within the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Improve I-70 Program kicked off with an official ceremony in Grain Valley, Missouri. MoDOT, joined by federal, state, and local elected officials, along with members of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and its contractor team gathered near I-70 to break ground on Improve I-70: Blue Springs to Odessa. “[This] marks another exciting and historic milestone in MoDOT’s efforts to Improve I-70 with the groundbreaking of the third Improve I-70 project,” said Warren Erdman, Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Chairman. “The Missouri General Assembly has provided us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring this transformative improvement to communities along I-70, the citizens of Missouri, and those just traveling through.”
Improve I-70: Blue Springs to Odessa is part of a series of projects that will add a third lane in each direction and improve I-70 across the state between Blue Springs and Wentzville, Missouri. Construction completion is anticipated in late 2028. This project was awarded to the design-build contractor team of Radmacher Brothers Excavating, Ideker, Inc., and Wilson & Company. It includes the following improvements:
- A third lane of I-70 in both directions beginning just west of MO Route 7 in Blue Springs to approximately MO Route H (mile marker 45.3), nearly 7 miles past the project requirements
- Replacement of the existing I-70 lanes with all new full-depth concrete pavement
- Improved I-70 interchanges at MO Route D in Bates City and at MO Route 131 in Odessa
- 14 bridge replacements
The team has also committed to keeping two lanes of traffic open in each direction during peak travel times.
