Interstate 70 in Missouri
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by Missouri DOT | ||||
Length | 251.66 mi[1] (405.01 km) | |||
Existed | 1956–present | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
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East end | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Missouri | |||
Highway system | ||||
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In the U.S. state of Missouri, Interstate 70 is generally parallel to the Missouri River.[2] This section of the transcontinental Interstate has its western terminus at the Kansas state line on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, concurrent with U.S. Routes 24, 40, and 169,[3] where the east end is concurrent with Interstates 64 and 55, as well as US 40.[4]
Route description
Kansas City
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/I-70_Missouri-1.svg/300px-I-70_Missouri-1.svg.png)
While passing through Kansas City, I-70 is known as the "George Brett Super Highway," named after the former third baseman of the Kansas City Royals who is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Truman Sports Complex, which houses the Royals' and Chiefs' stadiums, is located along I-70 at Interstate 435.
Beginning on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, I-70 immediately encounters the Alphabet Loop, a small but complex loop of freeways with all of its exits having a number of 2 and a letter suffix that uses the entire alphabet (except I, O, and Z).[5][1] Interstate 35 becomes concurrent with I-70 as soon as the highway gets into the Loop, and maintain the concurrency until the northeastern corner of the Loop.[6] Back at the northwest corner, US 169 splits off to the north, leaving four routes concurrent with each other. There is a large interchange with Route 9 as the Loop reaches the northeastern corner.[7] When it does reach the corner, US 24 splits to the east, I-29 ends, and US 71 joins.[8]
After that, the freeway turns south, with interchanges to more roads. At the southeastern end, I-70, US 40, and 71 exit the Loop, where I-70 and US 40 splits east and US 71 continues south. I-670 ends, where I-70 and US 40 usurp the alignment.[9] Soon after usurpation, I-70 and US 40 turn southeast, and at exit 7A, US 40 departs from I-70.[10] Soon after that, I-70 interchanges with Interstate 435, the beltway around Kansas City.[11]
Independence to Wentzville
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/I-70_Western_Missouri.jpg/220px-I-70_Western_Missouri.jpg)
East of Interstate 435, I-70 continues east through Independence, Missouri, passing a busy cloverleaf interchange at Interstate 470.[12] The highway then continues with six lanes to the rapidly growing suburb of Blue Springs, where the roadway narrows to four lanes (two each direction) at Route 7.[13] I-70 remains at this width until its intersection with Interstate 64 in Wentzville, over 170 miles (270 km) away.
East of Blue Springs, I-70 takes on a rural character as it leaves Jackson County. The highway remains this way for the next 100 miles (160 km), going through gently rolling terrain and finally crossing the Missouri River just west of where it reaches the mid size college town of Columbia in the center of the state.[14] Through Columbia, the highway is lined with restaurants and hotels and can get quite congested during sporting events at the nearby University of Missouri. The highway leaves Columbia after an exit with St. Charles Road on the east end of town.[15] East of Columbia, I-70 continues through more gently rolling terrain until it reaches Wentzville. It then expands to three lanes each direction to St. Louis.
St. Louis
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008) |
East of Wentzville, Missouri I-70 passes through the bedroom community of Lake St. Louis, then growing cities of O'Fallon, St. Peters and then historic city of St. Charles.
It crosses over the Missouri River one last time on the Blanchette Bridge; actually two bridges, the westbound span built in the late 1950s and the eastbound span completed in the late 1970s.
Traffic volume increases as I-70 enters St. Louis County requiring more lanes. There are as many as 13 lanes at one point. The section I-70 from Fifth Street in St. Charles to Interstate 270 is among the busiest section of highway in the state, with AADT counts approaching 165,000 in 2005.[2]
I-270 draws much of the traffic so I-70 continues east through Bridgeton with only six lanes. It passes on the southern edge of Lambert St. Louis International Airport and through several bedroom communities, including Edmunson, Berkeley, Ferguson and Jennings crossing Interstate 170 in the process.
Finally entering the city of St. Louis, motorists encounter what are signed as the Express Lanes, known by MoDOT as the "reversible lanes".[16] Two lanes down the middle of the freeway are separated from the eastbound and westbound lanes by Jersey barriers. Because of changing traffic patterns due to the Interstate 64 reconstruction, the lanes run eastbound all day. MoDOT regularly monitors traffic patterns of this stretch of I-70 and will adjust the express lane traffic patterns accordingly.[16] These lanes have no entrance or exit ramps, except at the ends. They extend approximately 8 miles (13 km) from near Union Blvd to just north of downtown.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/I-70_St_Louis_Missouri.jpg/220px-I-70_St_Louis_Missouri.jpg)
As I-70 enters downtown St. Louis it passes the Edward Jones Dome and the Gateway Arch. Finally it merges with Interstate 64, Interstate 55, and US 40 and crosses the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River to Illinois. Missouri and Illinois have agreed to build a new bridge across the Mississippi River north of the Edward Jones Dome.[17]
I-70 has been criticized for cutting off Downtown St. Louis from the Mississippi River waterfront particularly at the Gateway Arch. St. Louis is considering a $90 million project to cover the highway by the Arch.[18]
This is not the first controversy involving I-70 and the Arch. In 1959, builders of the Poplar Street Bridge asked for the National Park Service to give 25 acres (100,000 m2) of the park for the bridge. The request generated enormous controversy and ultimately 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) was turned over for use for the bridge.[19]
Future
Reconstruction of I-70
Interstate 70 across central Missouri is one of the oldest stretches of Interstate Highway in the system, as some sections date back as far as the late 1950s.[20] As a result, the exits often have short, substandard acceleration and deceleration ramps, and the median is relatively narrow, with certain spots of both directions of traffic being separated by no more than a Jersey barrier. Also, a number of overpasses have low clearance, especially railway overpasses. Long-term plans have been identified to expand the highway to between six and eight lanes across the middle of the state.[21] Tolling the Interstate has become a possible alternative, although the public does not support this idea. According to the improveI70.com website, tolling would not start until all 189 miles of I-70 is reconstructed.
A March 2010 study[22] of I-70 from the Kansas state line to the I-470 interchange identified several possible improvements, including expansion of the freeway from four to eight lanes, adding HOV or HOT lanes, reconstructing the Truman Road interchange and improving the curves at Jackson Avenue and Truman Road. Some novel ideas included a new alignment of I-70 as a tunnel from the southeast corner of the downtown loop to 22nd/23rd streets, covering the southern portion of the downtown loop (I-670) or making the downtown loop into a uni-directional freeway around downtown, essentially becoming a large roundabout.
Missouri-Illinois Bridge
The New Mississippi River Bridge is expected to be finished in 2015. It will redirect I-70 traffic off of the congested Poplar Street Bridge.[23]
Exit list
County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jackson | Kansas City | 0.000 | 0.000 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Continuation into Kansas | |
0.845 | 1.360 | 2B | Beardsley Road | Eastbound exit only; no exit 2B westbound | ||
0.886– 1.041 | 1.426– 1.675 | 2A | ![]() ![]() | West end of I–35 / Downtown freeway loop overlap | ||
1.060 | 1.706 | 2C | ![]() ![]() | East end of US 169 overlap | ||
1.303 | 2.097 | 2D | Delaware Street | |||
1.651 | 2.657 | 2E | ![]() ![]() | Westbound exit is via exit 2H | ||
1.775 | 2.857 | 2F | Oak Street, Grand Avenue, Walnut Street | Westbound exit only; eastbound exit via exit 2E | ||
1.853– 2.028 | 2.982– 3.264 | 2G–H | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | East end of I-35 and US 24 overlaps; west end of US 71 overlap | ||
2.273 | 3.658 | 2J | 11th Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
2.375– 2.295 | 3.822– 3.693 | 2L–M | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | East end of US 71 and Downtown freeway loop overlaps; westbound exit is via exit 3A | ||
2.668 | 4.294 | 2K | Harrison Street, Troost Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
2.944 | 4.738 | 3A | The Paseo | No eastbound exit | ||
3.389 | 5.454 | 3B | Brooklyn Avenue | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
3.644 | 5.864 | 3C | Prospect Avenue | |||
4.135 | 6.655 | 4A | Benton Boulevard, Truman Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
4.420 | 7.113 | 4B | 18th Street | |||
4.879 | 7.852 | 4C | 23rd Street | |||
5.447 | 8.766 | 5A | 27th Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
5.578 | 8.977 | 5B | 31st Street | Eastbound exit only | ||
5.756 | 9.263 | 5C | Jackson Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
6.493 | 10.449 | 6 | Van Brunt Boulevard | |||
7.053 | 11.351 | 7A | ![]() ![]() | East end of US 40 overlap | ||
7.675 | 12.352 | 7B | Manchester Trafficway | |||
8.078– 9.105 | 13.000– 14.653 | 8 | ![]() | Signed as exits 8A (south) and 8B (north) | ||
9.338 | 15.028 | 9 | Blue Ridge Cutoff – Truman Sports Complex | Eastbound exit 9 is via exit 8B | ||
10.848 | 17.458 | 10 | Sterling Avenue | Eastbound exit only; westbound exit is via exit 11 | ||
Independence | 11.101– 11.122 | 17.865– 17.899 | 11 | ![]() | ||
12.596 | 20.271 | 12 | Noland Road | |||
14.093 | 22.680 | 14 | Lee's Summit Road | |||
15.090– 15.776 | 24.285– 25.389 | 15 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Signed as exits 15A (south/west) and 15B (north) | ||
16.613 | 26.736 | 17 | Little Blue Parkway, 39th Street | |||
Blue Springs | 18.563 | 29.874 | 18 | Blue Springs, Lake Tapawingo, Fleming Park | ||
20.392 | 32.818 | 20 | ![]() | |||
21.625 | 34.802 | 21 | Adams Dairy Parkway – Blue Springs | |||
Grain Valley | 24.412 | 39.287 | 24 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West end of US 40 overlap | |
Oak Grove | 28.169 | 45.334 | 28 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Lafayette | Bates City | 31.431 | 50.583 | 31 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Odessa | 36.665 | 59.007 | 37A | Outlet Mall | Eastbound exit only; westbound exit is via exit 37 | |
36.989 | 59.528 | 37B | ![]() | Signed as exit 37 westbound, eastbound entrance is via exit 38 | ||
38.252 | 61.561 | 38 | Johnson Drive | Eastbound exit is via exit 37B | ||
| 41.173 | 66.262 | 41 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
| 45.382 | 73.035 | 45 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Higginsville | 49.387 | 79.481 | 49 | ![]() | ||
| 52.839 | 85.036 | 52 | ![]() ![]() | ||
Concordia | 58.569 | 94.258 | 58 | ![]() | ||
Saline | Emma | 62.574 | 100.703 | 62 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Sweet Springs | 66.891 | 107.651 | 66 | ![]() | ||
| 71.383 | 114.880 | 71 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
| 74.606 | 120.067 | 74 | ![]() ![]() | ||
| 78.173 | 125.807 | 78 | ![]() | Signed as exits 78A (south) and 78B (north) | |
| 84.614 | 136.173 | 84 | ![]() | ||
Cooper | | 89.918 | 144.709 | 89 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
| 98.000 | 157.716 | 98 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Boonville | 101.781 | 163.801 | 101 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | East end of US 40 overlap | |
103.551 | 166.649 | 103 | ![]() | |||
| 106.382 | 171.205 | 106 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
| 111.455 | 179.369 | 111 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Missouri River | 114.714 | 184.614 | Rocheport Interstate 70 Bridge; Cooper–Boone county line | |||
Boone | | 115.505 | 185.887 | 115 | ![]() ![]() | |
| 117.687 | 189.399 | 117 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
| 121.178 | 195.017 | 121 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West end of US 40 overlap | |
Columbia | 124.398 | 200.199 | 124 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
125.543 | 202.042 | 125 | ![]() ![]() | |||
126.545 | 203.654 | 126 | ![]() ![]() | |||
127.019 | 204.417 | 127 | ![]() | |||
128.287 | 206.458 | 128 | ![]() ![]() | Westbound left exit and eastbound entrance. No access to exit if entering from US 63 | ||
128.887 | 207.424 | 128A | ![]() | |||
130.984 | 210.798 | 131 | St. Charles Road, Lake of the Woods Road | |||
| 133.644 | 215.079 | 133 | ![]() ![]() | ||
Callaway | | 137.729 | 221.653 | 137 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
| 144.193 | 232.056 | 144 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Kingdom City | 147.963 | 238.123 | 148 | ![]() | ||
| 155.426 | 250.134 | 155 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
| 161.318 | 259.616 | 161 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Montgomery | | 170.374 | 274.190 | 170 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
New Florence | 174.975 | 281.595 | 175 | ![]() | ||
High Hill | 179.797 | 289.355 | 179 | ![]() ![]() | ||
Jonesburg | 183.780 | 295.765 | 183 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Warren | | 188.445 | 303.273 | 188 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Truesdale– Warrenton | 193.484 | 311.382 | 193 | ![]() | ||
Wright City | 198.962 | 320.198 | 199 | Wildcat Drive | ||
200.000 | 321.869 | 200 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastbound exit is via exit 199 | ||
St. Charles | Foristell | 203.750 | 327.904 | 203 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Wentzville | 208.231 | 335.115 | 208 | Wentzville Parkway | ||
209.412 | 337.016 | 209 | ![]() ![]() | |||
210.090– 211.002 | 338.107– 339.575 | 210 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | East end of US 40 overlap; signed as exits 210A (east/south) and 210B (north) | ||
211.948 | 341.097 | 212 | ![]() ![]() | |||
Lake St. Louis | 213.950 | 344.319 | 214 | Lake St. Louis Boulevard – Lake St. Louis | ||
O'Fallon | 215.977 | 347.581 | 216 | Bryan Road | ||
217.759 | 350.449 | 217 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
218.929 | 352.332 | 219 | T.R. Hughes Road, Belleau Creek Road | |||
St. Peters | 220.381 | 354.669 | 220 | ![]() ![]() | ||
222.098 | 357.432 | 222 | Mid Rivers Mall Drive | |||
223.365– 223.945 | 359.471– 360.405 | 224 | ![]() ![]() | |||
225.129 | 362.310 | 225 | Cave Springs Road, Harry S. Truman Road | |||
St. Charles | 226.933 | 365.213 | 227 | Zumbehl Road | ||
228.277 | 367.376 | 228 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
229.379 | 369.150 | 229 | ![]() ![]() | Signed as exits 229A (south) and 229B (north) westbound | ||
St. Louis | Maryland Heights | 231.507 | 372.574 | 231 | ![]() | Signed as exits 231A (Maryland Heights Expressway) and 231B (Earth City Expressway) |
Maryland Heights– Bridgeton | 232.222– 233.024 | 373.725– 375.016 | 232 | ![]() | Signed as exits 232A (south) and 232B (north) westbound | |
Bridgeton | 234.180 | 376.876 | 234 | ![]() | ||
235.096 | 378.350 | 235 | ![]() | Signed as exits 235A (south) and 235B (north) | ||
235.626 | 379.203 | 235C | ![]() | |||
Edmundson | 236.729 | 380.978 | 236 | Pear Tree Drive, Natural Bridge Road, Airflight Drive, Lambert International Boulevard – Airport | ||
Berkeley | 237.627 | 382.424 | 237 | ![]() ![]() | No westbound exit | |
238.068 | 383.133 | 238A | Airport | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
238.430– 239.066 | 383.716– 384.739 | 238 | ![]() | Signed as exits 238B (south) and 238C (north) | ||
239.783 | 385.893 | 239 | Hanley Road | Westbound exit is via exit 240 | ||
Cool Valley | 240.393 | 386.875 | 240 | ![]() | ||
Normandy | 240.920 | 387.723 | 241A | Bermuda Road | ||
Northwoods– Norwood Court | 241.691 | 388.964 | 241B | ![]() | ||
Pine Lawn | 242.774 | 390.707 | 242 | Jennings Station Road | ||
City of St. Louis | 243.09 | 391.22 | 243A | Goodfellow Boulevard | Eastbound exit is via exit 242 | |
243.345 | 391.626 | 243B | ![]() ![]() | Westbound exit only | ||
244.062 | 392.780 | 243C | Bircher Boulevard | Eastbound exit only | ||
244.255 | 393.090 | 244A | Union Boulevard | |||
244.579 | 393.612 | 244B | Kingshighway Boulevard | Eastbound exit is via exit 244A | ||
245.013 | 394.310 | 245A | Shreve Avenue | |||
245.643 | 395.324 | 245B | West Florissant Avenue | |||
246.111 | 396.077 | 246A | Broadway – O'Fallon Park | |||
246.622 | 396.900 | 246B | Adelaide Avenue | |||
247.218 | 397.859 | 247 | Grand Boulevard | |||
248.068 | 399.227 | 248A | ![]() ![]() | |||
248.515 | 399.946 | 248B | Branch Street | Westbound exit only | ||
248.752 | 400.328 | 248C | St. Louis Avenue | Eastbound exit and entrance | ||
249.190 | 401.032 | 249A | Madison Street – Scottrade Center | Westbound exit and entrance | ||
249.228 | 401.094 | 249A | Tenth Street – Scottrade Center | Eastbound exit only | ||
249.551 | 401.613 | 249C | Convention Center, Broadway – America's Center, Busch Stadium | Eastbound exit only | ||
249.840 | 402.079 | 249D | Broadway – Edward Jones Dome | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
250.105 | 402.505 | 250A | Martin L. King Bridge – East St. Louis, Gateway Arch, Riverfront | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former exit for Convention Center, Cole St, Arch-Riverfront | ||
250.527 | 403.184 | 251B | Memorial Drive – Gateway Arch, Riverfront, America's Center | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
250.691 | 403.448 | 250B | Memorial Drive, Pine Street – Downtown St. Louis | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
250.830– 251.279 | 403.672– 404.394 | 251A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West end of I-55 / I-64 / US 40 overlap; signed as exits 40C (south) and no number (west) westbound; no eastbound exit to I-64 west / US 40 west and westbound entrance from I-64 east / US 40 east | ||
251.488 | 404.731 | Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River (state line) | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Auxiliary Routes of I-70 in Missouri
I-70 has four auxiliary routes in Missouri:
I-170 - a connector providing access to Lambert Field
I-270 - forms two-thirds of the beltway around the St. Louis Metro Area (the remaining third is signed as I-255)
I-470 - a connector serving Independence, Lees Summit and Grandview, providing access to I-435 and the new I-49 on the southeast side of the Kansas City Metro Area.
I-670 - an alternate route through downtown Kansas City, signed as Alternate I-70 and the Dillingham Freeway
Notes
- ^ I-670 in Google Maps also has I-70 on it because I-670 is designated "Alternate I-70".
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ "Route Log and Finder List – Interstate System – table 1". Federal Highway Administration. 2002-10-31. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "I-70 in Missouri" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "I-70 at the Kansas line" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Poplar Street Bridge map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Alphabet Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "A closer look of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Northern part of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Northeastern corner of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Eastern part of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "I-70 between the Loop and US 40" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "I-70 at I-435" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "I-70 at I-470" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "I-70 at Route 7". Microsoft TerraServer. United States Geological Survey. 1996-02-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "I-70 at the Missouri River near Columbia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "I-70 at US 63" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ a b "I-70 Reversibles To Remain Eastbound All Day" (Press release). Missouri Department of Transportation. 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ The New Mississippi River Bridge Projects
- ^ City leaders pitch local control of Arch grounds – St. Louis Post Dispatch – August 29, 2007
- ^ Jefferson National Expansion Administrative History by Sharon A. Brown – nps.gov – Retrieved January 22, 2008
- ^ "The Facts". Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "What are the Benefits?". Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "Draft I-70 First Tier Environmental Impact Statement (FTEIS)" (PDF). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ "New Mississippi River Bridge Project". Newriverbridge.org. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2011-09-19.