highways

The semi crashed on March 1 on a stretch of highway near Jerome, Missouri, but the truck's load of tofu became increasingly more pungent as temperatures rose.

As the United States’ first federal highway system, Route 66 connected people and places across the country. It was a symbol of adventure but also independence, especially for Black travelers through Missouri.

Watkins was a founder of the political organization Freedom, Inc. and one of the Kansas City Council’s first two Black members. He was a vocal opponent of Highway 71 — although parts of the parkway were eventually named after him. An event at the Kansas City Public Library on Sunday, Feb. 15, will remember his full life and legacy.

Orange cones and jack hammers have slowed drivers on U.S. Highway 69 for years. Officials announced Tuesday that express toll lanes running north and south will be open on Feb. 21. The new lanes are designed to reduce traffic and accidents.

In 1912, Kansas City, Missouri, became the first city in the U.S. to arrest people for jaywalking. Fueled by auto industry propaganda, this decision set off a nationwide trend to redesign our roads for the car — at the expense of everyone else.

Missouri residents today have even less say in their transportation needs. Last year, Gov. Mike Kehoe slashed the state’s Transit Operating Investment nearly in half, reducing funding to local public transit agencies.

Construction on Interstate 70 began in 2024, with the first section covering the stretch of highway between Columbia and Kingdom City.

Kansas City is using a $5 million grant to study how to reconnect communities torn apart by Highway 71. Commuters, residents, and urban planners continue to debate between multiple possibilities that could transform nearby neighborhoods and traffic in the area.

Highway construction tore through the historically Latino neighborhood in the latter half of the 20th century. Now, Kansas City is reconsidering the roadways with an eye toward addressing some of the harms they have caused.

Kansas City is considering changes to Highway 71 as part of its project to reconnect the neighborhoods torn apart decades ago by its construction. But some residents who live near the highway wonder if officials have their best interests in mind.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Wednesday there have been nearly 750 highway fatalities so far this year.

The STORM team will focus on roadways with high crash rates, dangerous driving behaviors and criminal activity. Its first large-scale operation was in Jackson County.