The Daily Dig
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has selected the Millstone Weber Team to design and build Improve I-70: Kingdom City to Warrenton. The $583 million project will add a third lane in each direction along 44 miles of Interstate 70, and contract negotiations are now underway.
Millstone Weber leads as contractor, with Jacobs as designer and WSP as a key partner. The team came out on top among four shortlisted design-build teams.
Concrete Plans
Along with the new lanes, the team will replace all existing I-70 pavement between Kingdom City and Warrenton with new full-depth concrete.
Bridge work includes three replacements and six rehabilitations across the corridor.
Mineola Hill is getting a fourth eastbound climbing lane, giving slower traffic its own room on the grade. The team will also redesign the Norfolk Southern Railroad crossing at High Hill.
Lane Changes
This is the sixth project in MoDOT’s Improve I-70 Program, which is widening nearly 200 miles of the interstate from Blue Springs to Wentzville. Missouri’s fiscal year 2024 budget provided $2.8 billion in general revenue and bonding authority to build the third lane statewide.
MHTC Chairman Warren Erdman called the pick an important milestone for the program. “With this award, six out of eight expansion projects are now moving forward in this historic $2.8 billion investment,” he said.
Millstone Weber already has crews on the corridor, building the program’s first segment from Columbia to Kingdom City. “Currently delivering the first project in this program from Columbia to Kingdom City, we are ready to build on this momentum,” said Bob Leingang, executive vice president and chief engineer.
Clock Is Ticking
Construction is scheduled to start in spring or summer 2027, with completion expected in late 2030. MoDOT plans public information meetings in early 2027, once the team has more detailed design and traffic control plans to share.
Snapshot:
Project: Improve I-70: Kingdom City to Warrenton
Owner: Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission / MoDOT
Design-Build Team: Millstone Weber Team
Contractor: Millstone Weber
Designer: Jacobs, Inc.
Key Partner: WSP
Delivery Method: Design-build
Value: $583 million
Location: Interstate 70, Kingdom City to Warrenton, Missouri
Length: 44 miles
Scope: Third lane each direction; full pavement replacement with full-depth concrete
Bridges: 3 replacements, 6 rehabilitations
Additional Work: Eastbound climbing lane at Mineola Hill; redesigned Norfolk Southern crossing at High Hill
Selection: Apparent best-value proposer, 1 of 4 shortlisted teams
Status: Contract negotiations in progress
Public Meetings: Early 2027
Construction Start: Spring/Summer 2027
Completion: Late 2030 (delivery goal Dec. 31, 2030)
Program: 6th of 8 Improve I-70 expansion projects; nearly 200 miles, Blue Springs to Wentzville
Program Funding: $2.8 billion in general revenue and bonding authority, Missouri FY2024 budget
Remaining Awards: Odessa to Concordia; Concordia to Boonville (by May 2027)
Corridor Context: Links St. Louis and Kansas City; carries more rural daily traffic than any other Missouri route
Policy Context: Missouri recently expanded progressive design-build availability to all state agencies
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Full-depth concrete across 44 miles means years of steady paving work. Detailed design is still ahead, so ready-mix, aggregate and paving subs have good reason to get in front of Millstone Weber early.
The High Hill crossing deserves a closer look. Work at a Class I railroad crossing typically brings its own approvals, flagging and insurance hoops, so subs with railroad experience should stand out.
Millstone Weber’s segment next door may let them shift crews and equipment between jobs. Everyone else is competing statewide, with the full program targeting completion in late 2030.
