By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Missouri Department of Transportation continues to consider changes to the I-229 double decker bridge in downtown St. Joseph.
Now that an environmental study has been completed, MoDOT is in the design phase of what will be done to move away from the current double decker design.
MoDOT Deputy Director Eric Schroeter says there will be a public comment period next month as the department puts together its annual Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
"And that's the one that will include as we're trying to put the project with the double decker bridge into that five-year plan as to where that falls when funding is available and timing" Schroeter tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And moving on from, now that we've completed the environmental study part, to now taking it on as a project and getting it planned, and the design work done for it."
An exact date or location for the meeting has not yet been announced by the department.
For two years, Missouri has been discussing the possibility of converting Highway 36 into Interstate 72. MoDOT officials say it is not a simple process.
Highway 36 runs across the northern half of the state – from St. Joseph to Hannibal. Turning U.S. Highway 36 into Interstate 72 could make traversing along the Chicago-Kansas City Expressway, as it’s known, a little bit easier.
Schroeter says there are several federal standards that would have to be met for Highway 36 to be upgraded to an interstate.
"So, some of the things that are different that would change with 36 to become an interstate, the interstates don't have any private driveways on them, there's no direct connections, it's all restricted access," Schroeter explains. "And they also have a minimum speed limit, so they don't typically allow agriculture type equipment that can't maintain an interstate speed."
Schroeter says the department has heard the discussions and the desire, but hopes people understand the costs and what goes into it, and that it also comes down to federal guidelines.
While much transportation talk in Missouri has centered on Interstate 70 in central Missouri and Interstates 44 in southern Missouri, a top official insists MoDOT hasn’t forgotten about northwest Missouri.
Schroeter says northwest Missouri will get plenty of attention in the next Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
"All the bridge replacements we're doing, minor road resurfacing, resurfacing to some of the interstates up in the northwest part, a lot of bridge replacements going on, and also looking at projects specifically in St. Joseph," Schroeter says. "Looking at the future of what's commonly known as a double decker bridge, we've worked on an environmental plan there what's the future of that look like, so all of those projects are in the STIP as well."
Schroeter says there are 45o projects in the works currently and points out on any given day this summer there will be 800 work zones active across the state.
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