I-70

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson spoke to KCUR's Up To Date about the case of Kansas City Police officer Eric DeValkenaere, the expansion of I-70, the 2024 gubernatorial race, and Kansas City's new gun ordinances.

Included in the budget passed by lawmakers this session and signed by Gov. Mike Parson in June was around $2.8 billion to expand I-70 to three lanes in each direction. On Wednesday, commissioners approved the first steps of acquiring that money.

The drafted timeline for I-70 construction would start in August, on the stretch of highway between Columbia and Kingdom City moving east-bound, and complete in 2030. Missouri's latest budget allocated $2.8 billion to the project, the largest on the interstate since it opened.

The budget includes a $2.8 billion plan to fully expand Interstate 70 to three lanes in each direction, funding for teacher raises as well as money for public libraries. It also has $50 million to go toward stadium improvements for the World Cup in Kansas City.

The Senate’s plan to go beyond the $860 million initially proposed to expand Interstate 70 remained in the budget agreed to by a Senate-House conference committee Wednesday night. Other Senate positions that remained were state funding for public libraries and the elimination of anti-DEI language in the budget.

The Senate plan would spend nearly $2.8 billion to expand the entire interstate to three lanes each way.

Gov. Mike Parson requested $859 million from the Missouri legislature to widen three sections of Interstate 70, including from Blue Springs to Odessa. But House Budget Committee chair Cody Smith says there's little chance of federal aid for the project.

In both Kansas and Missouri, lawmakers are focusing heavily on the state budget, education issues, and targeting the rights of transgender residents.

Rep. Sam Graves represents the largest Congressional district in Missouri. With a high-profile new position chairing the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Graves has a big platform and plans to use his influence to bring a lot of highway funding home to Missouri.

The Tarkio Republican recently became chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Graves says he's talked with Gov. Mike Parson about steering federal money to widen portions of Interstate 70.

In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he wants to use the state’s general revenue surpluses for major transportation and capital improvement projects.

As a penalty for ignoring federal safety laws, Missouri has diverted millions of dollars in road construction funds to safety programs. But critics say the state's open container policies make roads more dangerous.