Interstate 70 in Missouri

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Interstate 70
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Maintained by MoDOT
Length: 251.66 mi[1] (405.01 km)
Formed: 1956
West end: I-70 / US-24 / US-40 / US-169 in Kansas City, KS
East end: I-44 / I-55 / I-64 / I-70 in East St. Louis, IL
Missouri Highways
< US 69 US 71 >
Supplemental
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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]

Contents

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.

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 southeastern corner of the Loop.[6] Back at the northeastern 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
I-70 in Saline County

East of Interstate 435, Interstate 70 continues east through Independence, 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] Interstate 70 remains at this width until its intersection with U.S. Route 40 in Wentzville, over 170 miles away.

East of Blue Springs, Interstate 70 takes on a rural character as it leaves Jackson County. The highway remains this way for the next 100 miles, 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 a confusing and very congested interchange with the U.S. Route 63 freeway on the east end of town.[15] East of Columbia, Interstate 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. As of August 2007 eastbound through this section (on the right side in this picture) is being widened to 4 lanes.
I-70 west of St. Louis; shown here is rush-hour traffic congestion. As of August 2007 eastbound through this section (on the right side in this picture) is being widened to 4 lanes.
 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


East of Wentzville, Missouri Interstate 70 passes through the bedroom community of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, 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 50's and the eastbound span completed in the late 70's.

Traffic volume increases as Interstate 70 enters St. Louis County requiring more lanes. There are as many as 13 lanes at one point. The section Interstate 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]

Interstate 270 drains much of the traffic so Interstate 70 continues east through Bridgeton with only 6 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, but what are locally know as the reversible lanes. Two lanes down the middle of freeway are separated from the eastbound and westbound lanes by jersey barriers. During morning rush hour the lanes are given access so eastbound drivers can use them. In the afternoon the eastbound access is blocked and westbound drivers are given access. These lanes have no entrance or exit ramps, except at the very ends. They extend approximately 8 miles from near Union Blvd to just north of downtown.

As Interstate 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.[16]

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.[17]

This is not the first controversy involving I-70 and the Arch. In 1959, builders of the Poplar Bridge asked for the National Park Service to give 25 acres of the park for the bridge. The request generated enormous controversy and ultimately 2.5 acres was turned over for use for the bridge.[18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

Exit list

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by adding the missing mileposts.
County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Jackson Kansas City 2A I-35 South - Wichita West end of I-35 overlap
2B Beardsley Road Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
2C US 169 North (Broadway) - downtown East end of US 169 overlap
2D Main Street, Delaware Street, Wyandotte Street Eastbound exit closed 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
2E Route 9 North (Oak Street) No Westbound exit (use exit 2H)
2F Oak Street, Grand Avenue, Walnut Street Westbound exit only; Eastbound exit via exit 2E
2G I-29/I-35/US 71 North - St. Joseph, Des Moines East end of I-35 overlap; West end of US 71 overlap
2H US 24 East (Admiral Boulevard) to Route 9
2J 11th Street Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
2K Harrison Street, Troost Avenue Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
2L I-670 West to I-35 South - Topeka, Wichita
2M US 71 South East end of US 71 overlap; Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
3A To US 71 South - The Paseo No Eastbound exit
3B Brooklyn Avenue Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
3C Prospect Avenue
4A Benton Boulevard; Truman Road Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
4B 18th Street
4C 23rd Street
5A 27th Street Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
5B 31st Street Eastbound exit only
5C Jackson Avenue Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
6 Van Brunt Boulevard
7A US 40 East East end of US 40 overlap; Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
7A 31st Street Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
7B Manchester Trafficway
8 I-435 - Wichita, Des Moines Signed as exits 8A (I-435 South) and 8B (I-435 North)
9 Blue Ridge Cutoff - Truman Sports Complex
10 Sterling Avenue Eastbound exit only; other access via exit 11
11 US 40 (Blue Ridge Boulevard)
Independence
12 Noland Road Truman presidential library Noland Road Bridge Closed for Road Reconstruction at I-70
14 Lee's Summit Road
15A I-470/Route 291 South - Lee's Summit
15B Route 291 North - Liberty
17 Little Blue Parkway, 39th Street
18 Blue Springs, Lake Tapawingo, Fleming Park
Blue Springs
20 Route 7 - Blue Springs, Lake Lotawana
21 Adams Dairy Parkway - Blue Springs
Grain Valley 24 US 40 West, Route AA/BB - Grain Valley, Buckner West end of US 40 overlap
Oak Grove 28 Route F/H - Levasy, Oak Grove
Lafayette Bates City 31 Route D/Z - Bates City, Napoleon
Odessa 37A Outlet Mall Eastbound exit only; other access via exit 37B
37B Route 131 - Odessa, Wellington Signed as exit 37 Westbound
38 Route 131 South - Odessa Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
41 Route M/O - Lexington, Mayview
45 Route H - Mayview
Higginsville 49 Higginsville/Warrensburg
52 Route T - Aullville
Concordia 58 Route 23 - Waverly, Concordia
Emma 62 Route VV/Y - Emma
Saline
Sweet Springs 66 Route 127 - Sweet Springs, Mt. Leonard
71 Route EE/K - Houstonia
74 Route YY
78 US 65 - Sedalia, Marshall Signed as exits 78A (US 65 South) and 78B (US 65 North)
84 Route J
Cooper County 89 Route K North - Arrow Rock, Blackwater
98 Route 41/135 - Arrow Rock, Pilot Grove
Boonville 101 I-70 Business East; US 40 East; Route 5 (Ashley Road) - Boonville, Tipton East end of US 40 overlap
103 Route B (Main Street) - Boonville, Bunceton
106 I-70 Business West; Route 87 (Bingham Road) - Boonville, Prairie Home
111 Route 98/179 - Overton, Wooldridge
Boone 115 Route BB North - Rocheport
117 Route J/O - Huntsdale, Harrisburg
121 US 40/Route 240 West, Route UU South - Fayette West end of US 40 overlap
Columbia 124 Route 740 South; Route E North - Stadium Boulevard, Columbia University of Missouri
125 I-70 Business East - West Boulevard
126 Route 163 - Providence Road, Downtown
127 Route 763 - Range Line Road, Moberly
128 I-70 Business West - Columbia Westbound left exit and Eastbound entrance only
128A US 63 - Jefferson City, Moberly
131 St. Charles Road; Lake of the Woods Road
133 Route Z - Centralia
Callaway 137 Route DD; Route J - Millersburg
144 Route HH; Route M - Hatton
Kingdom City 148 US 54 - Auxvasse, Mexico, Fulton
155 Route A; Route Z - Bachelor, Calwood
161 Route D; Route YY - Williamsburg
Montgomery 170 Route 161; Route J - Danville, Montgomery City
New Florence 175 Route 19 - New Florence, Hermann
High Hill 179 Route F North - High Hill
Jonesburg 183 Route E; Route NN; Route Y - Jonesburg
Warren 188 Route A; Route B - Truxton
Truesdale;
Warrenton		 193 Route 47 - Warrenton, Hawk Point
Wright City 199 Route F; Route H; Route J - Wright City
200 Route F; Route J - Wright City Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
St. Charles Foristell 203 Route T; Route W - Foristell
Wentzville 208 Wentzville Parkway
209 Route Z - Church Street, New Melle
210A US 40 East; US 61 South - Chesterfield, St. Louis
210B US 61 North - Wentzville, Hannibal
212 Route A
Lake St. Louis 214 Lake St. Louis Boulevard
O'Fallon 216 Bryan Road
217 Route K; Route M - O'Fallon
219 T.R. Hughes Road; Belleau Creek Road
220 Route 79 - Elsberry, Louisiana
St. Peters 222 Route C - Mid Rivers Mall Dr, St. Peters
224 Route 370 East
St. Charles 225 CAvenue Springs Road, Truman Boulevard
227 Zumbehl Road
228 I-70 Business East; Route 94 - First Capitol Dr, Weldon Spring
229 I-70 Business North - Fifth Street Signed as exits 229A (Fifth Street South) and 229B (Fifth Street North) on I-70 West
St. Louis Maryland Heights 231A-B Earth City Expwy Signed as exits 231A (South) and 231B (North)
Champ 232 I-270 - Chicago, Memphis
Bridgeton
234 Route 180 - St. Charles Rock Road
235A-B US 67 - Lindbergh Boulevard Signed as exits 235A (South) and 235B (North)
235C Route B North - Cypress Road, Airport
Edmundson 236 Lambert-St. Louis Airport
Berkeley 237 Route 115 East - Natural Bridge Road No Westbound exit; Westbound left entrance
238A Lambert-St. Louis Airport Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
238B-C I-170 Signed as exits 238B (South) and 238C (North)
239 N.Hanley Road Westbound exit is via exit 240
Cool Valley 240A-B Route N - Florissant Road; University Boulevard
Normandy 241A Bermuda Avenue; Bermuda Road
Northwoods;
Norwood Court		 241B Route U - Lucas & Hunt Road
Pine Lawn 242A-B Jennings Station Road
St. Louis City 243A Goodfellow Boulevard Eastbound exit is via exit 242
243B Riverview Boulevard (Route 367 North) Westbound exit only
243C Bircher Boulevard Eastbound exit only
244A Union Boulevard
244B Kingshighway Eastbound exit is via exit 244A
245A Shreve Avenue
245B W.Florissant Avenue
246A Broadway - O'Fallon Park
246B Adelaide Avenue
247 Grand Avenue
248A Salisbury Street; McKinley Bridge
248B Branch Street Westbound exit only
248C St. Louis Avenue Eastbound exit and Eastbound entrance
249A Madison Street; Scottrade Center Westbound exit and Westbound entrance
249A Tenth Street; Scottrade Center Eastbound exit only
249C Broadway - Convention Center, Busch Stadium Eastbound exit only
249D Broadway; Edward Jones Dome Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance on the express lanes
250A M.L. King Bridge - Illinois; Arch; Riverfront Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
250B Memorial Dr - Downtown-Pine Street Eastbound exit and Westbound entrance
251B Memorial Drive - Arch; Riverfront; Convention Center Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
251A I-44 West - Tulsa; I-55 South - Memphis Eastbound exit only; signed as exit 40C on I-64 Westbound
I-64 West; US 40 West - St. Louis West end of I-44/I-55/I-64/US 40 overlap; Westbound exit and Eastbound entrance
Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River, concurrency ends at Illinois border. continue into Illinois

Notes

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

References

  1. ^ Route Log and Finder List - Interstate System - table 1. Federal Highway Administration (2002-10-31). Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  2. ^ I-70 in Missouri. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  3. ^ I-70 at the Kansas line. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  4. ^ Poplar Street Bridge map. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  5. ^ Alphabet Loop. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  6. ^ A closer look of the Loop. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  7. ^ Northern part of the Loop. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  8. ^ Northeastern corner of the Loop. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  9. ^ Eastern part of the Loop. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  10. ^ I-70 between the Loop and US 40. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  11. ^ I-70 at I-435. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  12. ^ I-70 at I-470. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  13. ^ I-70 at Route 7. Microsoft TerraServer. United States Geological Survey (1996-02-28). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  14. ^ I-70 at the Missouri River near Columbia. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  15. ^ I-70 at US 63. Google. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  16. ^ The New Mississippi River Bridge Projects
  17. ^ City leaders pitch local control of Arch grounds - St. Louis Post Dispatch - August 29, 2007
  18. ^ Jefferson National Expansion Administrative History by Sharon A. Brown - nps.gov - Retrieved January 22, 2008
  19. ^ The Facts. Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  20. ^ What are the Benefits?. Improve I-70. Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.


Interstate 70
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