Elected officials and county commissioners in both parties joined Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) director Ed Hassinger on Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the first seven miles of completed I-70 pavement between Columbia and Kingdom City.
It’s all part of the $405-million project to rebuild and expand I-70 between the two communities. Director Hassinger praises the work Millstone Weber crews are doing. Some of them are working six days a week:
“But as we stand here today we are standing on our brand-new pavement a little over a year from when we broke ground up at the (Columbia’s) Drury Inn. And that is just incredible progress,” Director Hassinger says.
Democrats and Republicans in the Missouri Legislature are both praising MoDOT and Millstone Weber for the first seven miles of completed I-70 pavement between Columbia and Kingdom City. State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) joined her GOP colleague Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) and others to cut the ribbon:
“It is something that we can all get behind and it’s something that’s good for Missouri. And it’s good for people that come to Missouri to see this wonderful interstate that’s going to go straight through the state. And it’s going to improve economic development … it’s going to improve safety,” says Rep. Steinhoff.
Improve I-70 program director Eric Kopinski tells 939 the Eagle that they plan to open the first seven miles of completed pavement between Routes J and M on Thursday evening. State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) is thrilled:
“To see their work they made and the progress they made and the timeline. I was talking to the (MoDOT) engineer earlier this morning and he said when everything is in place, they’re pouring 2,000 feet a night of concrete,” Rep. Schulte says.
State Rep. Gregg Bush (D-Columbia) and numerous others helped cut the ribbon as well near exit 137.