Missouri highway officials are just weeks away from deciding the best way to expand capacity on Interstate 70 between Kansas City and St. Louis.

According to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Missouri Department of Transportation is considering options such as widening I-70 to six or eight lanes, building a parallel toll road, offering high-speed rail, using intelligent transportation to help traffic flow more efficiently, and adding car pool lanes to deal with heavy traffic and deteriorating pavement on the aging interstate.
Truck traffic on I-70, already heavy, is expected to nearly double by the year 2030. The Missouri Motor Carriers Assn. is watching the project closely, and has already said it opposes a toll road.
Missouri is expected to narrow the list of proposals down to one by June 1. In the meantime, the state DOT is holding public meetings. One will be held May 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Wentzville Middle School in Wentzville. Another will be May 22 at the Airport Hilton near Lambert Field in St. Louis.