Missouri Expressways

[froggie]

Could be that they're doing the 4-lanes to Linn for consistency.  Going from 4 to 2 to 4 (assuming the Linn bypass would be 4 lanes) is a safety issue.

[Sykotyk]

But you can build a bypass with ROW for two carriageways with only one in use until such a need arose to actually pave the other side. I agree, going through a town is much more an impediment to free-flowing traffic than capacity.

Sykotyk

[Revive 755]

Found some evidence in a Missouri funding study that Missouri had its own version of a freeway/expressway plan, with 448 miles of rural freeways in addition to the interstates, and other mileages I can't remember.

[Revive 755]

Effort starting to get US 160 four laned north of Springfield between I-44 and Willard:

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20091102/NEWS01/911020364/1007/Students-seek-safer-U.S.-160

It appears most of this section of US 160 is already a MO super-2 with ROW for future WB/NB lanes.

[njroadhorse]

Effort starting to get US 160 four laned north of Springfield between I-44 and Willard:

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20091102/NEWS01/911020364/1007/Students-seek-safer-U.S.-160

It appears most of this section of US 160 is already a MO super-2 with ROW for future WB/NB lanes.

The picture on the first page doesn't look like a Super-2.  It just looks downright treacherous.

[Scott5114]

God, 160 to Willard is a pain in the ass. No turn lanes at all, even at the stoplights, if I remember correctly. Hope they manage to get this done.

[Revive 755]

The picture on the first page doesn't look like a Super-2.  It just looks downright treacherous.

According to MoDOT standards, a Super-2 is a road that with decent shoulders.  I think MoDOT has lowered their definition, as it seems MoDOT used to consider road a Super-2 if they had shoulders and a greatly improved alignment, usually with a speed limit of 60 or 65.  Hence the "MO Super-2" label.

[Revive 755]

I turned up a map of Missouri's planned freeway and expressway system in an appendix of the 1975 Iowa Freeway and Expressway plan (which also had similar maps for every state bordering Iowa except South Dakota).  Summarizing the corridors shown on the map:

Interstates & Other Freeways
* US 54, I-70 to Jefferson City
* US 40-61 corridor to somewhere around Troy
* US 63, Columbia to Jefferson City
* US 67, I-55 to Frederickton
* US 67 - MO 367 corridor, I-270 to the Illinois border
* US 71, KC downtown loop to I-44

Ultimate Freeway
* US 36 across the state
* US 54, I-70 to US 61
* US 54, Jefferson City to US 65
* US 60, US 65 to the eastern intersection with US 63
* US 60, I-55 to Poplar Bluff
* US 61, Troy area to somewhere around the Clark-Lewis County line
* US 63, Columbia to Kirksville
* US 63, eastern intersection with US 60 to West Plains
* US 65, Marshall area to Branson area
* US 67, Frederickton to Poplar Bluff
* US 71, I-44 to around Anderson

Expressways
* MO 7, US 71 to Warsaw
* US 60, MO 21 to Poplar Bluff
* US 63, Rolla to Jefferson City
* US 65, Marshall area to Chillicothe
* US 71, I-29 to Maryville

Ultimate 4 Lane
* MO 8, I-44 to Flat River (now Park Hills)
* MO 84 - MO 25 - MO 53 corridor, Poplar Bluff to the I-55/I-155 area
* MO 72 - MO 21 corridor, Rolla to US 60
* MO 72, US 67 to I-55
* US 54, US 65 to Kansas State Line
* US 60, eastern US 63 intersection to MO 21
* US 61, Clark-Lewis County Line to the Iowa border via what is now part of MO 27
* US 63, Kirksville to the Iowa border
* US 63, Rolla to the western intersection with US 60
* US 63, West Plains to the Arkansas border
* US 65, Branson area to the Arkansas border
* US 65, Chillicothe to the Iowa border
* US 71, Anderson area to the Arkansas border
* US 71, Maryville to the Iowa border

[Revive 755]

Two articles today regarding the planned expressway bypass of Hannibal on US 61:
http://www.hannibal.net/news/x2034411234/Expressway-update-meeting-leaves-some-in-limbo
http://www.hannibal.net/features/x2096607154/Funding-shortfall-presents-roadblock-for-expressway-project

The second article makes it sound like upgrading US 61 to interstate standards in Lincoln County might happen before constructing the bypass.

[3467]

What were the routes for the other neigboring states?

[english si]

Interestingly, the European definition of an expressway is usually also a freeway-grade road, but with somewhat less strict designs, such as tighter curves, steeper grades, less or no services, narrow or no shoulders etc.

I should add there aren't that much 4-lane divided highways that are not freeways in Europe, so that's why we probably do not really have a term for it. (the British dual carriageway might come closest)

The French have the Voie Express, which Michelin give the wordy, but correct, "Dual Carriageway with Motorway Characteristics". Most of the VE are short links, substandard freeways, though you have the 'Breton Autoroutes' - which because they are free, were built as N roads.

Britain has a lot of dual carriageways that aren't freeways. It does also have a lot of 4-lane non-motorway near-freeway standard road (A1 north of Peterborough, A34 between M40 and M3), but there are roads like the A580 'East Lancs Road' - a 1920s/1930s intercity road, with some roundabouts and traffic lights (and maybe 1 or 2 grade-separated junctions). Likewise the Birmingham-Wolverhampton New Road (A4127), which is now really an urban road, not interurban - ditto the A4 Great West Road (I don't think the latter opened as a divided highway - I know that the Watford and Barnet bypasses (now A41 and A1) didn't, but now mostly are). Where some of these roads haven't been bypassed by a motorway, or subsumed into 30s suburbia, they have been grade separated (eg A40 Western Avenue).

[Revive 755]

As of Saturday, US 60 only has a small gap from a few miles west of Van Buren to immediately west of the western junction with MO 19 that needs to be finished.  Looked like the route could be complete by the end of May; several spots looked ready to receive pavement, while a few others appeared to be waiting for whatever MoDOT is going to do with the the old two lane route that will be the new westbound lanes.  There are going to be a few scenic spots where the lanes separate, and it will be interesting to see how MoDOT handles some of the current climbing lanes on the existing road that will be converted to the new eastbound lanes.

I will say this route seems to show MoDOT's continued adoption of Nebraska expressway design.  The speed limit unnecessarily drops to 55 for way too long around Van Buren, and again at the small burg of Ellsinore.  MoDOT should have better managed access at these towns, and/or used better design features such as median u-turns if there are already enough safety concerns to being used as an excuse for the new speed traps.

The section of US 60 that multiplexes with US 67 also stinks.  The interchange at the western junction with US 67 is a tad too tight, and given the development occurring along this section, traffic lights are likely to be needed any day now, possibly recreating the MO 367 disaster from the St. Louis area since outer roads are already present on at least half of this section .  The US 60-67 multiplex really should be added to the list of expressway segments to be upgraded to full freeway standards in Missouri.

[ShawnP]

MODOT should realize it's cheaper to upgrade US-36 to Interstate 72 and only upgrade Interstate 70 to six lanes than do a 8-10 lane upgrade of 70 thru the whole state. A lot of truck traffic would take 72 and relieve alot of pressure on 70. I say you could upgrade 36 for 400-600 million plus 2 billion for 70. Doing only 70 for 8-10 lanes is 4-5 billion at the low end.

[shoptb1]

What is MoDOT's stance on signing US-36 as I-72 through to I-35?

[ShawnP]

I have seen some scoping projects to redo the Interstate 35 and US-36 Interchange which is would be complicated due to lots of commercial area's. Most of the other US-36 is no more complicated than US-71 which is being upgraded to I-49. It's all about the cash and I-72 upgrading would save money.

[Revive 755]

Personally, I think all the US 36 corridor really needs right now to be a more useful alternative to I-70 is construction of the southern half of the Hannibal Bypass for US 61 - there seems to be a decent amount of trucks using I-29 to change between I-70 and I-80, and US 61 isn't a friendly route through Hannibal.  The stoplight at Cameron is not as annoying as some others (like the blasted thing on NE 2 in Nebraska City that seems to stay green longer for the side road than the expressway).

Some of the truck traffic projections show a lot of trucks using I-64 between St. Louis and I-57 (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/nat_freight_stats/images/hi_res_jpg/nhslnghultrktraf2035.jpg); if a decent number of those trucks are currently coming across I-70, US 36 would not make a good alternative for them.  US 50 on the other hand . . .

[ShawnP]

Drove US-71/Future I-49 today. Five Interchanges are being erected at this time and two under major reconstruction.

From the north I will discuss. MODOT is completely redoing the MO-150 Interchange from the ground up. New Bridges/New Outer Roads/New Overpasses on Outer Roads. The south bound bridge is complete with all traffic shifted to that bridge while work is ongoing on the north bound bridge. Appears all Outer Roads and Overpasses are almost complete. MODOT has a nice webpage describing the rebuild.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/Route71interchangeatroute150.htm

Next Interchange under construction is the 163rd Street One. The Interchange itself is complete with just minor landscape work happening. However 163rd Street is being expanded to four lanes and is under construction from west of US-71 to east of highway.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/route71at163rdstreet.htm

Nothern Cass Parkway is next on the construction list a completely new road and Interchange. Appears to be on track for a fall opening and as base is being laid on the ramps and the bridge itself appears completely done. Either MODOT or the contractor has hit the speed Nazi button and lowered the speed limit here needlessly to 55mph as most major construction is done beside the road and it's safe to have a 70mph speed limit thru here.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/NorthCassParkway.htm

The slowest project and least along is the brand new Missouri 52 East bound interchange which started last summer. Appears the contractor ran into some problems and will definitely not be able to meet a fall of this year deadline for the project. No bridge abutements are even started on either side or in the middle. Ramps are somewhat along but still alot of work to be done.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/southwest/documents/BatesCountyRoute52Eastlargemap.pdf

The three further south interchanges at V/C, DD/EE and MO-126 are all coming along great with girders up and most ramp work done. All three will easily be done by fall. MODOT appears to be closing alot of side roads once these interchanges are done and the Interstate upgrade will complete almost all the way to Nevada.

[US71]

The slowest project and least along is the brand new Missouri 52 East bound interchange which started last summer. Appears the contractor ran into some problems and will definitely not be able to meet a fall of this year deadline for the project. No bridge abutements are even started on either side or in the middle. Ramps are somewhat along but still alot of work to be done.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/southwest/documents/BatesCountyRoute52Eastlargemap.pdf

The One Lane Bridge at Mound Branch on 52 just got taken out last month, so it will be a while for that section to get done.

[Alex]

What is the deal with the exit number (157) of Interstate 72 & U.S. 36's interchange with U.S. 36 Business and Missouri 79? What is the mileage based upon?

[froggie]

US 36 at I-35.

[huskeroadgeek]

So by that, I guess we could assume that they do plan on signing I-72 all the way to I-35? If they are going to take it that far, why wouldn't they just stretch it to I-29, or actually maybe I-229 tying in with the existing US 36 freeway in St. Joseph? Or do they not plan on upgrading US 36 to interstate standards W. of I-35?

[lamsalfl]

I don't understand why we can't have I-49 signage in Missouri or I-22 signage for the completed portions, yet I-69 can be signed for 30 miles in Mississippi (including the I-55 multiplex to the state line).  Start promoting I-49 and I-22 now so that map companies can get on board since they are usually slow... create national awareness for truckers... etc. 

What about rest areas?  Why aren't these being built along desolate stretches anymore?  I know about the closing of rest areas, but some areas that are very desolate need them.  I hate to see vestiges of an interstate continue to not be included in the future.  Still don't see a welcome center on US 71 around the state line...

[J N Winkler]

So by that, I guess we could assume that they do plan on signing I-72 all the way to I-35?

No.  I think the real motivation is to choose a zero point for mileage-based exit numbering which is sufficiently far west that I-72 will never be built west of it in Missouri, even under the most optimistic scenarios.  The reason for this (according to Wikipedia) is that the concept for I-72 has traditionally been that of a Kansas City-to-Chicago express route, along an itinerary which includes I-35 between Kansas City and the projected I-72 turnoff at Cameron.

I have my doubts about I-72 being finished across Missouri in any near decade because the US 36 upgrade contracts I have seen from MoDOT lately haven't featured comprehensive grade separation.  For instance, I remember an US 36 contract advertised in the last couple of years which had a grade separation in one direction and a flat intersection in the other.

The 800-pound gorilla nobody talks about is US 36 in Kansas.  Much of it is a Kansas Super Two--i.e., two lanes with comprehensive grade separation.  In principle it could be upgraded to a full four-lane freeway in much the same way US 69, US 169, and US 75 have also been upgraded, but I have never heard that Missouri has any interest in providing connectivity between Cameron and the start of the improved lengths of US 36 in Kansas.  Anyway, there is a huge disparity in attitudes to highway improvement between the two states.  Missouri is into "small gummint" (also understood in Kansas as "Missouri loves company"), while Kansas has just passed a $8.2 billion ten-year highway program.

[froggie]

So by that, I guess we could assume that they do plan on signing I-72 all the way to I-35?

As Mr. Winkler notes, they'd have to upgrade US 36 first.  The US 36 upgrades that have gone on thus far have for the most part not been to full freeway.

I don't understand why we can't have I-49 signage in Missouri or I-22 signage for the completed portions, yet I-69 can be signed for 30 miles in Mississippi (including the I-55 multiplex to the state line).

I-22 is easy...it doesn't connect to the Interstate system yet.  Unless and until it does, it can only be signed Future I-22.

As for I-49, it could be that MoDOT wants more of the route completed first...a case could be made, given general policy and precedent elsewhere, to request permission from FHWA to sign I-49 between I-44 and MO 96/BUSINESS US 71 in Carthage (BUSINESS 71 is an NHS route), as well as between MO 7 South in Harrisonville (also an NHS route) and I-470.  The rest would have to wait until it connects to each other or to US 54...the only other intersecting NHS route.

[US71]

As for I-49, it could be that MoDOT wants more of the route completed first...a case could be made, given general policy and precedent elsewhere, to request permission from FHWA to sign I-49 between I-44 and MO 96/BUSINESS US 71 in Carthage (BUSINESS 71 is an NHS route), as well as between MO 7 South in Harrisonville (also an NHS route) and I-470.  The rest would have to wait until it connects to each other or to US 54...the only other intersecting NHS route.

I think it was 2007 when Arkansas and Missouri petitioned AASHTO to begin posting I-49 along completed sections of upgraded US 71 (including BL 49 at Joplin), but their application was rejected.