MoDOT breaks ground on large I-55 project

On March 8, 2024, representatives from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), KCI and Bartlett & West were joined by elected officials and the public for a groundbreaking ceremony of the I-55 Corridor project along the Mississippi River south of St. Louis.

The I-55 Corridor, from Pevely south to Festus in Missouri, is considered unreliable by MoDOT due to high traffic density. Any incident during rush hour completely stalls traffic and bottlenecks the four-lane highway. MoDOT is investing $246 million to improve the corridor by adding a third line in each direction for approximately seven miles of I-55, rebuilding the major interchange with US 67 and adding a new interchange on US 67 at Route CC.

Bartlett & West teamed with the St. Louis-based contractor KCI to pursue the design-build project. In July 2023, the KCI team was awarded the contract. An innovative design at the I-55/US 67 interchange allowed the team to not only construct a third lane towards the median of I-55 but also completely rebuild the middle lane and rehabilitate the outer lane. The project also will address 27 bridges in the project area, greatly reducing MoDOT future maintenance needs.

Since July, the Bartlett & West-led design team worked feverishly to develop plans so construction could begin. The initial design plans were sealed during the first week of January, which allowed construction to commence in advance of the ceremonial groundbreaking on March 8. 

It is anticipated that some of the new elements will be open as early as August. The design for Bartlett & West is expected to generally wrap up by the end of 2024, and construction for the $246 million project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.