The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has selected Columbia-based Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS), partnered with St. Louis contractor Parsons Transportation group, as the contractors who will lead the reconstruction project of Interstate 70 between Rocheport and Columbia.
ESS Executive Vice President of Operations Josh Doerhoff says his team made Columbia a cornerstone of the winning bid.
“MoDOT had a vision to transform Columbia,” Doerhoff said. “Transforming Columbia remained a motto for our team through the entire pursuit.”
Construction for the $441 million Rocheport to Columbia project is anticipated to begin in the middle of 2026 and is set to be completed by December 2029. In order to not significantly disrupt traffic flow, the team has committed to keeping two lanes of travel open in each direction during peak travel times.
The Improve I-70 program is expanding the road to three lanes each way between St. Louis and Kansas City. The $2.8 billion undertaking has been divided into eight segments of the road, each with corresponding projects awarded to contractors.
The announcement marks the fourth project of the Improve I-70 program to now officially be underway, with four still in the design or procurement phase.
Although there are still about 193 miles along I-70 awaiting a third lane, MoDOT officials say the entire project is on track – and on budget – to finish by its December 2030 deadline.
Improve I-70 Program Director Eric Kopinski says even though only seven miles of new road has currently been laid, people will begin to see faster progress once all the contractors are secured.
“This is some of the most significant work we’ve ever done in the history of Missouri and the history of MoDOT,” Kopinski said. “So it's gonna take a little time and little patience as we make these improvements.”
