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Interstate 70 in Missouri

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JoBrLa (talk | contribs) at 04:23, 22 December 2013 (→‎Exit list: No signage to indicate "To I-49" or a control city.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the section of Interstate 70 in Missouri. For the entire route, see Interstate 70.

Interstate 70 marker

Interstate 70

Route information
Maintained by Missouri DOT
Length251.66 mi[1] (405.01 km)
Existed1956–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-70 / US-24 / US-40 / US-169 at Kansas state line
Major intersections I-29 / I-35 / US 71 in Kansas City
I-670 in Kansas City
I-435 in Kansas City
I-470 in Independence
I-64 / US 40 / US 61 in Wentzville
I-270 in Maryland Heights
I-170 in Berkeley
I-55 / I-64 / US 40 in St. Louis
East end I-55 / I-64 / I-70 / US 40 at Illinois state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
Highway system
← US 69→ US 71

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

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

I-70 in Saline County

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

I-70 west of St. Louis; shown here is rush-hour traffic congestion. Since this photograph was taken, this section has been widened to 4 lanes in each direction.

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.

I-70 in downtown St. Louis

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]

File:I70stl.jpg
under the elevated section of the highway in north St. Louis

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

Main article: New Mississippi River 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

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
JacksonKansas City0.0000.000


 I-70 west / US-24 west / US-169 south		Continuation into Kansas
0.8451.3602BBeardsley RoadEastbound exit only; no exit 2B westbound
0.886–
1.041		1.426–
1.675		2A
 I-35 south – Wichita		West end of I–35 / Downtown freeway loop overlap
1.0601.7062C
 US 169 north (Arrowhead Trafficway) – Downtown		East end of US 169 overlap
1.3032.0972DDelaware Street
1.6512.6572E
 Route 9 north (Oak Street)		Westbound exit is via exit 2H
1.7752.8572FOak Street, Grand Avenue, Walnut StreetWestbound exit only; eastbound exit via exit 2E
1.853–
2.028		2.982–
3.264		2G–H


 I-29 north / I-35 north / US 71 north – St. Joseph, Des Moines

 US 24 east (Admiral Boulevard)		East end of I-35 and US 24 overlaps; west end of US 71 overlap
2.2733.6582J11th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
2.375–
2.295		3.822–
3.693		2L–M


 I-670 west to I-35 south – Topeka, Wichita

 US 71 south		East end of US 71 and Downtown freeway loop overlaps; westbound exit is via exit 3A
2.6684.2942KHarrison Street, Troost AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
2.9444.7383AThe PaseoNo eastbound exit
3.3895.4543BBrooklyn AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
3.6445.8643CProspect Avenue
4.1356.6554ABenton Boulevard, Truman RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
4.4207.1134B18th Street
4.8797.8524C23rd Street
5.4478.7665A27th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
5.5788.9775B31st StreetEastbound exit only
5.7569.2635CJackson AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
6.49310.4496Van Brunt Boulevard
7.05311.3517A
 US 40 eastModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated		East end of US 40 overlap
7.67512.3527BManchester Trafficway
8.078–
9.105		13.000–
14.653		8 I-435 – Wichita, Des MoinesSigned as exits 8A (south) and 8B (north)
9.33815.0289Blue Ridge Cutoff – Truman Sports ComplexEastbound exit 9 is via exit 8B
10.84817.45810Sterling AvenueEastbound exit only; westbound exit is via exit 11
Independence11.101–
11.122		17.865–
17.899		11 US 40 (Blue Ridge Boulevard)
12.59620.27112Noland Road
14.09322.68014Lee's Summit Road
15.090–
15.776		24.285–
25.389		15
 I-470 west / Route 291 – Lee's Summit, Liberty		Signed as exits 15A (south/west) and 15B (north)
16.61326.73617Little Blue Parkway, 39th Street
Blue Springs18.56329.87418Blue Springs, Lake Tapawingo, Fleming Park
20.39232.81820 Route 7 – Blue Springs, Lake Lotawana
21.62534.80221Adams Dairy Parkway – Blue Springs
Grain Valley24.41239.28724


 US 40 west / Route AA west / Route BB north – Grain Valley, Buckner		West end of US 40 overlap
Oak Grove28.16945.33428

 Route F south / Route H north – Levasy, Oak Grove
LafayetteBates City31.43150.58331

 Route D north / Route Z south – Bates City, Napoleon
Odessa36.66559.00737AOutlet MallEastbound exit only; westbound exit is via exit 37
36.98959.52837B Route 131 – Odessa, WellingtonSigned as exit 37 westbound, eastbound entrance is via exit 38
38.25261.56138Johnson DriveEastbound exit is via exit 37B
​41.17366.26241

 Route M south / Route O north – Lexington, Mayview
​45.38273.03545

 Route E south / Route H north – Mayview
Higginsville49.38779.48149 Route 13 – Higginsville, Warrensburg
​52.83985.03652
 Route T north – Aullville
Concordia58.56994.25858 Route 23 – Waverly, Concordia
SalineEmma62.574100.70362

 Route VV north / Route Y south – Emma
Sweet Springs66.891107.65166 Route 127 – Sweet Springs, Mt. Leonard
​71.383114.88071

 Route EE north / Route K south – Houstonia
​74.606120.06774
 Route YY north
​78.173125.80778 US 65 – Sedalia, MarshallSigned as exits 78A (south) and 78B (north)
​84.614136.17384 Route J
Cooper​89.918144.70989

 Route K north / Route M south – Arrow Rock, Blackwater
​98.000157.71698

 Route 41 north / Route 135 south – Arrow Rock, Pilot Grove
Boonville101.781163.801101


 I-70 BL east / US 40 east / Route 5 south (Ashley Road) – Boonville, Tipton		East end of US 40 overlap
103.551166.649103 Route B (Main Street) – Boonville, Bunceton
​106.382171.205106
 I-70 BL west / Route 87 (Bingham Road) – Boonville, Prairie Home
​111.455179.369111
 Route 98 / Route 179 south – Overton, Wooldridge
Missouri River114.714184.614Rocheport Interstate 70 Bridge; Cooper–Boone county line
Boone​115.505185.887115
 Route BB north – RocheportModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
​117.687189.399117

 Route J north / Route O south – Huntsdale, Harrisburg
​121.178195.017121


 US 40 west / Route 240 west / Route UU south – Fayette		West end of US 40 overlap
Columbia124.398200.199124

 Route 740 east (Stadium Boulevard) / Route E north – Columbia
125.543202.042125
 I-70 BL east – ColumbiaModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
126.545203.654126
 Route 163 south (Providence Road) – Columbia
127.019204.417127 Route 763 (Range Line Road) – Columbia, Moberly
128.287206.458128
 I-70 BL west – Columbia		Westbound left exit and eastbound entrance. No access to exit if entering from US 63
128.887207.424128A US 63 – Jefferson City, Moberly
130.984210.798131St. Charles Road, Lake of the Woods Road
​133.644215.079133
 Route Z north – CentraliaModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
Callaway​137.729221.653137

 Route DD north / Route J south – Millersburg
​144.193232.056144

 Route HH south / Route M north – Hatton
Kingdom City147.963238.123148 US 54 – Auxvasse, Mexico, Fulton
​155.426250.134155

 Route A north / Route Z south – Bachelor, Calwood
​161.318259.616161

 Route D south / Route YY south – Williamsburg
Montgomery​170.374274.190170

 Route 161 north / Route J south – Danville, Montgomery City
New Florence174.975281.595175 Route 19 – New Florence, Hermann
High Hill179.797289.355179
 Route F north – High Hill
Jonesburg183.780295.765183

 Route E north / Route Y south – Jonesburg
Warren​188.445303.273188

 Route A north / Route B south – Truxton
Truesdale–
Warrenton		193.484311.382193 Route 47 – Warrenton, Hawk Point
Wright City198.962320.198199Wildcat Drive
200.000321.869200

 Route F south / Route J north – Wright City		Eastbound exit is via exit 199
St. CharlesForistell203.750327.904203

 Route T south / Route W north – Foristell
Wentzville208.231335.115208Wentzville Parkway
209.412337.016209
 Route Z south – New MelleModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
210.090–
211.002		338.107–
339.575		210

 I-64 east / US 40 east / US 61 – Chesterfield, St. Louis, Wentzville, Hannibal		East end of US 40 overlap; signed as exits 210A (east/south) and 210B (north)
211.948341.097212
 Route A northModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
Lake St. Louis213.950344.319214Lake St. Louis Boulevard – Lake St. Louis
O'Fallon215.977347.581216Bryan Road
217.759350.449217

 Route K south / Route M north (Main Street) – O'Fallon
218.929352.332219T.R. Hughes Road, Belleau Creek Road
St. Peters220.381354.669220
 Route 79 north – Elsberry, LouisianaModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
222.098357.432222Mid Rivers Mall Drive
223.365–
223.945		359.471–
360.405		224
 Route 370 east
225.129362.310225Cave Springs Road, Harry S. Truman Road
St. Charles226.933365.213227Zumbehl Road
228.277367.376228
 I-70 BL east (First Capitol Drive) / Route 94 – St. Charles, Weldon Spring
229.379369.150229
 I-70 BL west (Fifth Street) – St. Charles		Signed as exits 229A (south) and 229B (north) westbound
St. LouisMaryland Heights231.507372.574231 Route 141 (Earth City Expressway (north), Maryland Heights Expressway (south))Signed as exits 231A (Maryland Heights Expressway) and 231B (Earth City Expressway) 
Maryland Heights–
Bridgeton		232.222–
233.024		373.725–
375.016		232 I-270 – Chicago, MemphisSigned as exits 232A (south) and 232B (north) westbound
Bridgeton234.180376.876234 Route 180 (St. Charles Rock Road)
235.096378.350235 US 67 (Lindbergh Boulevard)Signed as exits 235A (south) and 235B (north)
235.626379.203235C Route B (Natural Bridge Road) – AirportModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
Edmundson236.729380.978236Pear Tree Drive, Natural Bridge Road, Airflight Drive, Lambert International Boulevard – Airport
Berkeley237.627382.424237
 Route 115 east (Natural Bridge Road)		No westbound exit
238.068383.133238AAirportWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
238.430–
239.066		383.716–
384.739		238 I-170Signed as exits 238B (south) and 238C (north)
239.783385.893239Hanley RoadWestbound exit is via exit 240
Cool Valley240.393386.875240 Route N (Florissant Road, University Boulevard)
Normandy240.920387.723241ABermuda Road
Northwoods–
Norwood Court		241.691388.964241B Route U (Lucas Road, Hunt Road)
Pine Lawn242.774390.707242Jennings Station Road
City of St. Louis243.09391.22243AGoodfellow BoulevardEastbound exit is via exit 242
243.345391.626243B
 Route 367 north (Riverview Boulevard)		Westbound exit only
244.062392.780243CBircher BoulevardEastbound exit only
244.255393.090244AUnion Boulevard
244.579393.612244BKingshighway Boulevard Eastbound exit is via exit 244A
245.013394.310245AShreve Avenue
245.643395.324245BWest Florissant Avenue
246.111396.077246ABroadway – O'Fallon Park
246.622396.900246BAdelaide Avenue
247.218397.859247Grand Boulevard
248.068399.227248A
 Route 115 west (Salisbury Street) – McKinley Bridge
248.515399.946248BBranch StreetWestbound exit only
248.752400.328248CSt. Louis AvenueEastbound exit and entrance
249.190401.032249AMadison Street – Scottrade CenterWestbound exit and entrance
249.228401.094249ATenth Street – Scottrade CenterEastbound exit only
249.551401.613249CConvention Center, Broadway – America's Center, Busch StadiumEastbound exit only 
249.840402.079249DBroadway – Edward Jones DomeEastbound exit and westbound entrance
250.105402.505250AMartin L. King Bridge – East St. Louis, Gateway Arch, RiverfrontEastbound exit and westbound entrance; former exit for Convention Center, Cole St, Arch-Riverfront
250.527403.184251BMemorial Drive – Gateway Arch, Riverfront, America's CenterWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
250.691403.448250BMemorial Drive, Pine Street – Downtown St. LouisEastbound exit and westbound entrance
250.830–
251.279		403.672–
404.394		251A




 I-55 south / I-64 west / US 40 west to I-44 west – Memphis, St. Louis, Tulsa		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
251.488404.731Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River (state line)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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

  1. ^ I-670 in Google Maps also has I-70 on it because I-670 is designated "Alternate I-70".

References

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Interstate 70 in Missouri
KML is from Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 70 in Missouri.
  1. ^ "Route Log and Finder List – Interstate System – table 1". Federal Highway Administration. 2002-10-31. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  2. ^ "I-70 in Missouri" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  3. ^ "I-70 at the Kansas line" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  4. ^ "Poplar Street Bridge map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  5. ^ "Alphabet Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  6. ^ "A closer look of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  7. ^ "Northern part of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  8. ^ "Northeastern corner of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  9. ^ "Eastern part of the Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  10. ^ "I-70 between the Loop and US 40" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  11. ^ "I-70 at I-435" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  12. ^ "I-70 at I-470" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  13. ^ "I-70 at Route 7". Microsoft TerraServer. United States Geological Survey. 1996-02-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  14. ^ "I-70 at the Missouri River near Columbia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  15. ^ "I-70 at US 63" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  16. ^ a b "I-70 Reversibles To Remain Eastbound All Day" (Press release). Missouri Department of Transportation. 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  17. ^ The New Mississippi River Bridge Projects
  18. ^ City leaders pitch local control of Arch grounds – St. Louis Post Dispatch – August 29, 2007
  19. ^ Jefferson National Expansion Administrative History by Sharon A. Brown – nps.gov – Retrieved January 22, 2008
  20. ^ "The Facts". Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  21. ^ "What are the Benefits?". Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  22. ^ "Draft I-70 First Tier Environmental Impact Statement (FTEIS)" (PDF). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  23. ^ "New Mississippi River Bridge Project". Newriverbridge.org. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2011-09-19.


Interstate 70
Previous state:
Kansas 		Missouri Next state:
Illinois
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