Interstate 229 starts as an auxiliary highway off of I-29, continues along the eastern bank of the Missouri River, cutting downtown St. Joseph off from its’ riverfront with a two-level, four lane viaduct. The interstate goes 15 miles north until it meets another interchange with I-29 in Andrew County. The highway was constructed throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s as a way to bring revive downtown St. Joseph’s economic district by bringing people from I-29 through downtown, a reaction to many of the city’s businesses migrating to shopping malls away from the city’s center. Before the construction of I-229, downtown St. Joseph was hard to access, only being connected to I-29 through residential roads, but in the 2010’s, the state of I-229’s downtown portion became the subject of controversy within the city, sparking MoDOT to create I-229 Moving Forward and initiate an Environmental Assessment. As of 2023, the EA is still being conducted and I-229 Moving Forward has been consulting stakeholders to determine the future of the downtown viaduct of I-229.
This portion of I-229 runs for 1.6 km along the riverfront, as the highway’s four lanes become a double-stacked viaduct with two lanes on each level and splits into I-229 going north and route 59 going northwest, becoming the core of the northern district of St. Joseph. There are two sets of exit and entrance ramps coming off of I-229 to its eastern side going over two separate green spaces in the city, bringing people on and off of the highway. Development around this portion of I-229 is minimal, mostly consisting of railroad tracks and parking lots for the St. Joseph Riverwalk to its east and a roughly 100 ft. wide sliver of public park space on the western side (starting north of the southern set of ramps), where the riverboat landing and the southern entrance to the riverwalk is located, connected by roads underneath the elevated I-229.
The St. Joseph Riverwalk consists of a single hiking path that starts from its southern entrance next to I-229’s downtown portion and continues about 1 mile north between the Missouri River as it bends west, away from I-229, and a marsh to its east, until it reaches a northern entrance next to a Nature Center and Casino. Users of the Riverwalk seem to enjoy it as a space for leisurely walks and enjoying nature, but complaints have been made online about the southern entrance, which suffers from noise pollution from I-229 and has become a place for dumping and homeless residents of St. Joseph to set up camp, in part due to its separation from the rest of the city.
I-229 Moving Forward initially began in 2018 because the viaduct portion of I-229 was nearing the end of its expected life in 2036 and, due to the bridge’s poor condition, rehabilitation of the current bridge would only be expected to last 25 years and cost up to $200 million. For these reasons, MoDOT has spent the past few years narrowing down alternatives to the current I-229 design which prioritize safety, mobility, and reduce costs while balancing interests of the downtown businesses and promoting waterfront development.
As of 2023, there are 4 alternatives, with all of them getting rid of the top level of the viaduct, due to it not supporting the real traffic volumes the interstate has served, and replacing it with a two to four lane highway that lack the Interstate designation. The majority of the plans remove the many on and off ramps in the downtown and instead integrate the highway more into the city through traffic lights and a readjustment of the route through purchasing land occupied by the railroads to the east. These plans work to increase connectivity with St. Joseph’s downtown and create extra space for development along the riverfront, which can help improve the south entrance to the St. Joseph Riverwalk and make it a greater part of the city’s identity.
While the environmental assessment is still underway and the alternatives for the viaduct have yet to be finalized, MoDOT and the city of St. Joseph have tried to promote transparency and engage the community through in-person and virtual public interest meetings and by actively updating their website (modot.org/stjoe229). For this reason, there has been little negative press surrounding I-229 Moving Forward. The plan to reconstruct the highway is still underway and construction is not expected to conclude for another 5 to 7 years.
Works Cited:
https://www.modot.org/stjoe229
https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/I229_AltPDF_8-26-22.pdf
https://www.modot.org/i-229-moving-forward-timeline
https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-229-mo/embed/#?secret=AZRsB2ziot#?secret=qga1YjdyH8
