MoDOT is planning on giving the nation’s oldest interstate a high-tech makeover — though they are not exactly sure how yet.
I-70 to Become a Laboratory for Highway Experimentation
Following their June 3rd meeting, MoDOT announced that it would make I-70 from Kansas City to St. Louis a laboratory for the private industry and entrepreneurs to experiment with new technologies to give birth to the next generation of highways.
The announcement of the project comes after the failure of a fuel tax that would have helped to fund repairs on I-70. With no money to make needed repairs (and not even enough funds to maintain the interstate), Missouri is hoping that inspiration for a fix strikes someone, somewhere, and they come forward.
MoDOT Open to Any and All Ideas
The project has no timeline, budget, or clearly stated direction.
The program is referred to as the “Road to Tomorrow” and it consists of a team of MoDOT experts who will ask for and evaluate ideas from the private sector. The commission emphasizes that they are open to any and all ideas.
MoDOT has also challenged its own employees to get out of their comfort zones and explore both new revenue streams and new techniques for maintaining and repairing the interstate’s infrastructure. The employees will not be compensated for their additional work.
Sources:
The Missouri Times
St. Louis Post Dispatch
KMBZ