The design-build project will deliver improvements along Interstate 44 across southwest Missouri, from the Joplin area near the Oklahoma border east to Laclede County near Lebanon. Scope includes major interchange reconstructions, highway widening, bridge work and pavement upgrades on a freight corridor.

Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Chairman Warren Erdman said the selection is a “major step forward” for MoDOT. "This effort continues to look at innovative opportunities to deliver major projects with the greatest value to serve the citizens of Missouri for many years to come," he added in a statement.

The winning team includes contractor Capital Paving & Construction LLC and designer Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. The commission selected the proposal from a field of four competing teams that also included Ames Millstone Weber Joint Venture, ESS Team and MasTec DB Team.

According to MoDOT, all four teams submitted strong proposals, but Capital-CMT distinguished itself by exceeding project goals in every evaluation category, including geometrics, safety, operations, pavements, structures, maintenance of traffic and schedule.

Interstate 44 links Joplin, Springfield, Rolla and St. Louis.

MoDOT describes the highway as a key commercial corridor that connects with Interstate 40 and carries a mix of commuter, recreational and freight traffic. Trucks account for more than 30% of traffic on portions of the corridor, according to agency procurement documents.

A map of MoDOT's Forward 44: Southwest I-44 Improvements Project shows five major project segments stretching across southwest Missouri from the Joplin area to Laclede County. Planned work includes interchange reconstruction at I-44/I-49 near Fidelity and I-44/MO 13 in Springfield, highway widening, bridge improvements and pavement upgrades.

Graphic: MoDOT

Contract negotiations are underway, according to state documents, with construction expected to begin later this year and completion scheduled by Nov. 15, 2031.

Scope includes reconstruction of the I-44/I-49 interchange near Fidelity and the I-44/Missouri 13 interchange in Springfield, widening portions of I-44 to six lanes in the Springfield area, pavement and safety improvements in Greene, Webster and Laclede counties, bridge improvements on Route EE in Springfield and pavement work in Lawrence County.

MoDOT said Capital-CMT proposed substantial upgrades at both major interchanges.

"A key benefit at the I-44/MO 13 interchange is the separation of local and through traffic, which will have excellent operations beyond the design year," Southwest I-44 Project Director Kristi Bachman said in an email response to ENR.

The project is part of MoDOT's broader Forward 44 initiative to address capacity, safety and infrastructure needs along the interstate corridor.

State lawmakers appropriated $20 million in fiscal 2024 for an environmental study of I-44 and later approved more than $577 million in fiscal 2025 funding for corridor improvements. The Southwest I-44 Improvements Project includes $328 million in state general revenue funding and $143 million from the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

"We look forward to … a safer, more resilient corridor that strengthens connectivity and serves the region for decades to come," Capital Chief Operating Officer Kevin Peart said in a statement.

The team also proposed constructing 15 miles of new six-lane pavement through the Springfield area using Highly Modified, or HiMod, asphalt. Combined with separate widening work already underway, the improvements would create 20 continuous miles of six-lane I-44 through the region, according to MoDOT.

Traffic volumes along the corridor currently range from roughly 47,000 vehicles per day in Newton County to nearly 55,000 vehicles per day in Greene County, according to MoDOT. The department projects significant growth by 2050, citing the need to modernize infrastructure built “decades ago” to accommodate future demand.

The project will use a design-build delivery method. MoDOT said the approach allows work to proceed concurrently, reducing project duration and improving efficiency.