As a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) "Corridors Of The Future" program, developed to study innovative ways to reduce congestion and improve freight delivery, four states will study adding dedicated truck lanes to a portion of I-70. Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio will receive $5 million for the study, including $2 million specifically for Missouri to supplement its existing I-70 study to consider the truck lanes concept.
"This federal study is an important step in addressing Missouri 's critical need to improve I-70," said Missouri DOT Director Pete Rahn. "This highway is the busiest in our state, and it's a victim of its own success. It's getting so congested that we've got to do something dramatic to improve driving conditions."
More than 13 million miles are traveled on I-70 every day in Missouri and up to 40% of that is truck traffic, according to the release from DOT. "Truck traffic is very heavy," Rahn said, "so it makes sense to rebuild I-70 to separate trucks and passenger vehicles. That would make driving easier and safer for everyone." The cost of rebuilding I-70 with eight lanes, including four for trucks, is estimated at $3.5 billion, however, and the Missouri DOT does not currently have available funding.
To see an artist’s rendering of what I-70 might look like with the trucks-only lanes, view the PDF.
