The next time you’re driving east on I-70, you might notice a new exit is open!

This exit, just before the 128 mile marker, is the first new “direct connect” ramp, which allows for direct access from eastbound I-70 to southbound U.S. 63. This new connection is designed to improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion at the Connector.  

MoDOT asks all motorists to buckle up, put your phone down, obey all traffic signs and slow down or move over in work zones.  

This work is part of the first project in MoDOT’s Statewide Improve I-70 Program, which will add a third lane of travel in each direction to the 20-mile stretch of I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City. This $405 million fixed-cost contract includes new pavement on all three lanes of I-70 and will also make interchange improvements to the I-70 interchanges at U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 54.   

Missouri’s FY2024 budget, approved through the state legislative process and governor, provides $2.8 billion in General Revenue to build a third lane of I-70 across the state. The program will plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate, and add a third lane in each direction on nearly 200 miles of I-70, from Blue Springs to Wentzville. For more information on the Improve I-70 Program and to sign up for program e-updates, visit http://www.modot.org/improvei70.