Construction involving the U.S. 63 connector at Interstate 70 will wrap up in the next couple of months, with the opening of an extension between Conley Road and Business Loop 70 East.
On Monday, a ramp that gives drivers direct access to I-70 from the Business Loop will close permanently. From that point, about 35 days of work are necessary to complete the project, said Mike Schupp, area engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Traffic heading east will be able to use the extension as of Monday, but traffic heading west will not be able to do so until the entire project is complete, Schupp said.
Construction began last year after being on hold for more than a decade. The goal of the extension is to increase safety. Over the past 10 years, an average of six accidents causing serious injuries have occurred per year on the ramp, Schupp said. None were fatal, he said.
That’s more than three times the number of crashes happening yearly at the I-70 access ramps at Providence Road and Range Line Street, Schupp said.
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