KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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Leaders officially broke ground on the I-70 expansion project in the Kansas City area, marking the beginning of a major infrastructure overhaul that will impact thousands of daily commuters.
The expansion is part of Improve I-70, a larger project extending toward St. Louis. The local focus centers on the stretch between Blue Springs and Odessa.
Along that 25-mile stretch, the project aims to add a third lane and replace 14 bridges along the route. The project will also redesign two key interchanges: one in Bates City at Route D and another at Missouri Route 131 in Odessa.
For drivers who navigate this stretch daily, the construction promises both relief and challenges ahead.
The expansion comes as communities like Grain Valley experience significant population growth, particularly in school districts, putting additional pressure on existing infrastructure. It's something KSHB 41 heard during our Let's Talk stop in Grain Valley.
At the Grain Valley Community Center, pickleball enthusiast Patti Garrett said many commuters, like herself, will be directly affected by the construction.
"I play five times a week," Garrett said. "So I come up and down I-70 five times a week."
Fellow pickleballers Diane Simmons and Jake Schwartz welcome the prospect of additional lanes.
"There's a lot of truck traffic, and to have an extra lane would be great," Simmons said.
John Walsh, a customer at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Grain Valley, said he is skeptical about the improvements.
"Hard to imagine that it's going to make a great improvement over what it is right now," Walsh said.
For Walsh, I-70 holds stressful memories.
"I have been stuck on I-70, some terrible snowstorms and things like that, where you're stuck for hours," Walsh said.
Brass Armadillo customer Ruth Hallier sees the road work as necessary.
"Kansas City is growing," she said. "You know, a lot of the sports teams are coming to town. A lot of things are going on."
Walsh just hopes what's ahead is better than his rearview mirror.
"It is hard to look that far ahead when you're stuck in traffic," Walsh said.
MoDOT is asking drivers to remain patient and stay alert during construction. The project is expected to be completed in December 2028.
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