WASHINGTON — The Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) is releasing a new case study highlighting how sustained federal investment is modernizing Interstate 70 across Colorado, Missouri and Ohio.
“Every bottleneck and delay on one of America’s freight routes adds to the price of goods consumers pay at the gas station or grocery store,” TCC said. “Projects along Interstate 70 show how sustained federal investment can help deliver safer roads, fewer bottlenecks, and stronger supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. As Congress considers the next surface transportation reauthorization, projects like these demonstrate the lasting value of long-term federal commitment. More reliable roadways mean more efficient supply chains, lower transportation costs and fewer delays that drive up consumer prices at the register.”
Freight Bottleneck Woes
“Stretching from the Rocky Mountains through the Midwest, I-70 carries people and goods across some of the country’s busiest freight routes, but segments built for a different era are straining under modern traffic and freight demands,” TCC said. “Every hour a freight truck sits in traffic comes at the expense of consumers. Freight bottlenecks costs the U.S. economy more than $42B each year. In Ohio alone, freight congestion runs about $1.4B annually.”
Case Study
The case study spotlights three modernization efforts, powered by a combined $305M in federal grants.
- Colorado — Floyd Hill: A $100M INFRA grant is funding a three-phase rebuild of a treacherous seven-mile mountain stretch, straightening dangerous curves, expanding capacity, and adding connected-vehicle and weather technology by 2029.
- Missouri — Rocheport Bridge: Backed by an $81.2M federal grant, the new Lance Corporal Leon Deraps I-70 Missouri River Bridge is now open, carrying three lanes in each direction, an estimated 50,000 vehicles a day.
- Ohio — Downtown Columbus: A $1.4B effort, with $123.8M in federal funding, will eliminate nearly 70 percent of lane changes on a corridor that sees 900 crashes a year and reconnect neighborhoods long divided by the interstate.
“By improving reliability and reducing costly delays, this federal investment will help keep goods moving efficiently, support economic growth and deliver lasting benefits for businesses, workers and communities across the country,” TCC said. “Congress must pass the next surface transportation reauthorization to continue investing in projects that keep America moving.”
Click here to read about TCC’s recent case study on I-90
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
