ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – Drivers will soon see at least three lanes on Interstate 70 across the entire state of Missouri.

The new legislation will expand I-70 across the entire state to at least three lanes. Governor Mike Parson introduced the plan earlier this year, and he’ll be in Foristell Monday for a ceremonial signing of House Bill 4.

The project will start in Wentzville. The work is expected to ease congestion on the heavily traveled interstate between St. Louis and Kansas City. It’s a 200-mile stretch of I-70 that’ll start in St. Charles County and go all the way to Blue Springs, which is just outside K-C.

The bill Governor Parson will sign is a nearly $3 billion plan to expand the stretch of I-70 from two lanes to three. A lot of stretches of I-70 in more rural areas are only two lanes right now.

Back when the governor first pushed for this project, he was asking for $860 million from the state. However, state lawmakers have pushed the plan even further to a $2.8 billion project.

On Monday, the governor will hold a ceremonial signing of House Bill 4, which provides the money for the project.

The I-70 expansion is the biggest project in House Bill 4. If you drive on I-70, you can probably relate to some of the drivers we spoke with:

“With the two lanes, there’s accidents a lot, and it’ll stop, and you’ll just get stuck, so when you think you’re going to Columbia in an hour and a half, it might take 2.5 to 3 hours,” driver Gail Kline-Coyle explained.

“Between here and Jefferson City, there’s always a bottleneck; there’s always going and coming back,” local Cynthia Wilsman shared.

Construction is expected to begin next summer. It will take about six to seven years to complete.

The governor will be in Foristell around 8:00 a.m. to sign the legislation. His next stops are Columbia and Sedalia.