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The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has selected a Clarkson-Radmacher joint venture for its I-70 KC Project Improvement. The $237 million overhaul aims to improve safety and accessibility on the 5-mile stretch of I-70, according to the agency.
Clarkson Construction Co. and Radmacher Brothers Excavating, both based in Kansas City, Mo., competed against another team, a joint venture of Lunda Construction Co. and Parsons, for the design and construction contract. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 with an expected completion in the spring of 2028, which is seven months ahead of the required completion date, according to the release.
The project is part of a larger overhaul: Missouri allocated $2.8 billion in its fiscal year 2024 budget to rebuild 200 miles of I-70which runs east to west across the state and has been a source of consternation for drivers for decades.
The Kansas City work will take place between Paseo Boulevard and US 40/31st Street, a busy stretch that includes 12 interchanges and 26 bridges. Bridges, pavement, bicycle and pedestrian facilities are in need of repairs and improvements, according to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.
The project will be:
- Add a fourth lane on eastbound I-70 from Prospect Avenue to the Manchester Avenue Bridge.
- Replace 15 bridges and rehabilitate seven other bridges.
- Improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity throughout the project area.
- Rebuild I-70 from Chestnut Avenue to 18th Street.
- Rebuild eastbound I-70 from 27th Street to Cypress Avenue.
- Rehabilitate westbound I-70 from 27th Street to Cypress Avenue.
Currently, the section has narrow shoulders, short distances between ramps, low bridge vertical clearances and outdated roadway geometric features, according to the release.
“This project is critical to the Kansas City region to replace aging infrastructure, improve connectivity between neighborhoods along and across I-70, and improve safety and traffic flow, including the Benton and Jackson curves Missouri DOT Project Manager Allan Ludiker said in the release. “We will do all of this while keeping three lanes of I-70 open in each direction during the World Cup.”
Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 the city prepares by renewing Arrowhead Stadium, building new parking structures, working to finish its KC Streetcar extension lines and making other infrastructure improvements.
