Heads up, Bay Area travelers planning to navigate through Missouri come mid-August—there's a detour in your future. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) announced overnight closures for the westbound Interstate 64 exit ramp to westbound Interstate 70, as part of ongoing improvements. The closures are scheduled for August 11, 18, and 20, during specific late-night to early-morning hours, and are dependent on the whims of weather.
Next Monday, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., and then again on August 18, and 20; with the latter two closures stretching from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drivers coursing through westbound I-64 will have to bypass the regular route, taking a detour involving the eastbound I-70 Exit 1B ramp, and looping back via the Route A interchange to westbound I-70, a necessary inconvenience to accommodate the construction work.
The rationale behind these temporary shutdowns is the installation of barrier walls and the transport of materials essential for the construction of the new I-70/I-64/U.S. Route 61 interchange. This construction is part of the "Improve I-70 Warrenton to Wentzville Project," a significant undertaking that began in November 2024 and is expected to stretch through the year 2028.
Missouri's FY2024 budget, meticulously navigated through the state's legislative maze and given the green light by the governor, infuses a whopping $2.8 billion in General Revenue into a mammoth project to expand I-70. The multi-year plan aims to add a third lane in each direction along nearly 200 miles of highway, spanning from Blue Springs to Wentzville, according to MoDOT.
