By MATT PIKE
The Missouri Department of Transportation, along with consultants from Burns & McDonnell, have begun the next stages in the planning process on the I-229 corridor and double decker bridge in downtown St. Joseph
The I-229 Moving Forward Environmental Assessment was completed in 2025. and a Finding of No Significant Impact was issued by the Federal Highway Administration for the preferred alternative, which will remove the bridge and replace it with a four-lane roadway.
The I-229 project team will work throughout the summer of 2026 to collect survey data, define right of way and environmental impacts, coordinate with the railroad, conduct stakeholder and public outreach, and begin conceptual design work. The team will also be working through the FHWA process to remove the interstate designation from I-229.
In the fall of 2026, MoDOT is expected to make a determination if the project will be constructed via the Design-Bid-Build or Design-Build process. Project design is anticipated to begin in 2027, with construction planned for 2028-2030.
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