By MARTY LILES

The section of Interstate 35 in Clinton County – between the U.S. Route 69 exit just south of Cameron and the Lathrop exit – was a popular topic of conversation in Northwest Missouri in 2024. The approximately eight-mile section of interstate began deteriorating faster than anticipated, leaving our MoDOT Northwest District maintenance and program delivery departments to quickly pick up the pieces – literally and figurately – and act.

Managing aging infrastructure feels like a never-ending battle. As soon as one roadway or bridge is improved or replaced, a new one steps up to take its place. When issues with I-35 south of Cameron became evident, plans were made and funds were reallocated. Maintenance crews were out weekly, often daily, working to patch and replace concrete sections of the roadway. Program delivery spent countless hours developing and executing plans for both a repair project and a rehabilitation project.

Phillips Hardy, Inc. completed the repair project in the fall of 2024. This project was a necessary precursor to ensure that the interstate can handle two-way traffic in one direction, which will be necessary during the two-year rehabilitation project set to begin this spring. The rehabilitation project was awarded to Michels Road & Stone, Inc. and will include resurfacing and widening of U.S. Route 69 from I-35 to Missouri Route 116 and removing and replacing the northbound lanes of I-35 with a concrete unbonded overlay in 2025. Then in 2026, the southbound lanes of I-35 will also receive a concrete unbonded overlay.

While construction for this section hasn’t been completed yet, our district team has already been scoping additional projects on I-35. Sections of the interstate north of Cameron and near Bethany are also beginning to show their age and will need rehabilitation sooner rather than later. As we look to the next Statewide Transportation Improvement Program update, our continued focus will remain on asset management for roadways and bridges across the Northwest District.

Marty Liles is MoDOT Northwest District Engineer.