Lawmakers target Wentzville I-70 corridor for expansion

WENTZVILLE, Mo. (KMOV) - Local drivers say the traffic on the interstates near Wentzville is getting worse, and now a new proposal from Jefferson City aims to remedy that.

A new multi-billion dollar construction plan includes around $860 million in improvements for I-70 in several areas across the state, including a stretch between Wentzville to Warrenton. Springfield-area State Senator and Appropriations Committee Chair Lincoln Hough included the funding in a proposed appropriations bill, which aims to use the state’s surplus of cash to fix up roads. The project would be paid for with a mix of state tax dollars and bonds.

For I-70 specifically, the fix would be widening the road from two lanes per side to three lanes. The highway is one of the main thoroughfares through the state for both leisure and commercial travel and shipping. For the Wentzville Parkway interchange alone, more than 80,000 vehicles pass through every day coming from and going to St. Louis, according to MoDOT traffic flow maps.

The plan does not yet have congressional approval, but the House and Senate both have it on their radars. It’s something local St. Charles County residents say is quite needed and worth the cost in order to alleviate evening rush hour traffic.

“Where 70 and 61 break off, it just seems to back up further nowadays,” Lake St. Louis resident Ann Rehmann said. “It’s kind of unavoidable. But it’s something that needs to be done because we are growing out here.”

If you’re heading out of Wentzville, it’s nothing,” Wentzville resident Ethan Brandon said. “But if you’re coming back, it could be up to an hour.”

“It’s worth it for safety, I think,” Foristell resident Joseph Wilson said. “People’s lives are... Money is not an object.”

MODOT has been looking for ways to improve traffic flow along the I-70 corridor for years. State Sen. Hough’s office said they won’t issue a statement until the appropriations bill is passed. It could again come before the legislature next week.

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