The decades-old battle between cars and rigs on Interstate 70 could come to an end if the Missouri Department of Transportation has its way.
After a yearlong study, the agency is recommending that $3.9 billion be spent to rebuild 200 miles of I-70 between Lake Saint Louis and Independence. Under the plan, two lanes each direction would be for semis, and two lanes each way would be for the rest of traffic.
I-70 has some of the heaviest truck traffic in the country, leaving drivers of smaller vehicles feeling intimidated. Separating cars and semis would improve safety for both, according to the study.
"The No. 1 thing we heard from the public was the issue of trucks," said Kathy Harvey, state design engineer for the transportation department. "A lot of times they said, just put them on their own road."
