Boone County’s three Democratic commissioners joined Missouri’s GOP governor for this week’s I-70 expansion bill-signing ceremony in Columbia. Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick says expanding I-70 isn’t partisan.
“This isn’t a Republican or a Democratic issue, this is about leadership. And we’re happy that the governor, that Senator (Lincoln) Hough (of Springfield) and others were willing to step up and really take the lead on this and push it,” Kendrick says.
The bipartisan bill provides $2.8 billion to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes from St. Louis to Kansas City. The project will begin in Columbia. Governor Parson predicts the project will be a game-changer for Columbia and for the entire state. Presiding Commissioner Kendrick agrees with the governor.
“Not only the construction of it and what’s that going to mean and you know just the economic impact immediately, the construction happening in our county. But then just long-term and the potential outer roads that can built along I-70. The inbuild, the further development within to the county. This is a great thing for Boone County,” says Kendrick.
Commissioner Kendrick and fellow Boone County commissioners Justin Aldred and Janet Thompson joined the GOP governor at the ceremony. Kendrick, Aldred and Thompson are Democrats.
