JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Travel season is right around the corner.  With Memorial Day coming up and schools closing for the summer, millions of motorists will soon hit the road.  This year they’ll discover numerous highway work zones and potential delays, because the Missouri Department of Transportation is in the middle of a busy construction season, with hundreds of work zones active throughout the year.

     To help travelers prepare for what’s ahead, MoDOT has put together a list of the state’s top 10 work zones to try to avoid, based on volume of traffic, amount of work and level of delay.

    The top 10 list of highway work zones to look out for in 2008 is ranked in order of impact.  Most work zones will not be active over the Memorial Day weekend, but it may be necessary for lane closures to remain in place.  For more information on these or other projects around the state, please call 888-ASK-MoDOT or visit www.modot.org.

1.  St. Louis -- Interstate 64 – I-64 is closed, in both directions, from I-270 to I-170.  Includes work on several cross streets that will close or have reduced lanes for the duration of the year. The Hampton interchange will close in September 2008 and reopen in May 2009. Additionally, other ramps and bridges will be closed throughout the year. Carries 158,000 vehicles per day. Expect delays through peak travel times.  For driving directions around the closed section of I-64, use MoDOT’s Map My Trip feature at www.thenewi64.org.

2.  Kansas City -- kcICON: Interstate 29/35 reconstruction -- Interstate 29/35 from Route 210/Armour Road to the northeast corner of the downtown Kansas City central business district loop will have restricted lanes and various ramp closures through 2011.   Carries 102,000 vehicles per day. Two restricted lanes open daily 6-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m.  Delays expected during both peak and non-peak hours. Project includes construction of the new, Christopher S. Bond Missouri River Bridge.  For more information visit www.kcicon.com.

3.  Columbia – Interstate 70, from Missouri 740 (Stadium Blvd.) in Columbia to the Missouri River Bridge at the Boone/Cooper County line -- Westbound lanes will be reduced for resurfacing work. Work will begin in June and end in late 2008. Carries 51,900 vehicles a day. Expect lane closures and moderate delays during night hours, when work is taking place.

4.  St. Louis – Highway HH from Kehr’s Mill to Baxter Road – Widening the road to three lanes. Permanent road restrictions are in place. Construction runs through late summer 2008. Carries 34,000 vehicles per day. Expect significant delays to traffic in the area.

5.  Kansas City -- I-70 Bridge over Manchester Trafficway -- Bridge rehabilitation and redecking at Manchester Bridge, which will require three weekend closures and detours of traffic on interstate handling up to 120,000 vehicles daily. Weekend closures will be only one direction at a time and include one weekend in June and two weekends in July.

6.  Springfield -- I-44/Glenstone Avenue (Highway H) interchange -- The ramps at the interchange will be rebuilt, the Glenstone Avenue bridge over I-44 replaced and Glenstone Avenue (Highway H) widened between I-44 and Valley Water Mill Road. Work scheduled summer 2008 through fall 2010.  I-44 carries 35,000 vehicles a day, and Glenstone Avenue (Highway H) carries 3,000 vehicles a day. No delays expected during peak travel times.  However, it will be necessary during nighttime hours to divert I-44 traffic over ramps during bridge work.

7.  Iowa Line to Boone County - U.S. 63 – Four resurfacing projects will upgrade 63 miles of this major corridor across Schuyler, Adair, Macon and Randolph Counties. Along with resurfacing the driving lanes and shoulders, these Better Roads Brighter Future Projects include centerline rumble strips on two-lane sections and edge line rumble strips on two-lane and four-lane sections.  Traffic will be reduced to one lane in the work zones. Projects will be completed this fall.  Carries up to 10,000 vehicles a day, depending on location.

8.  Mississippi County -- Interstate 57 -- Southbound I-57 will be resurfaced with concrete and new shoulders added from the Illinois state line to two miles south of the Route 105 exit near Charleston.  Both northbound and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane with southbound traffic diverted to the northbound lane.  Work is ongoing to late summer.  Carries 10,500 vehicles daily.  Ten to 15-minute delays possible.

9.  Van Buren to Willow Springs – U.S. 60 – Four-lane expansion work will continue throughout Carter, Shannon and Howell counties with final completion of the entire corridor expected by the end of 2009. Projects include grading and paving, box culvert construction, and the building of a five-lane section through the community of Mountain View. Delays will be minimal, as most work will occur off the travel lanes. Delays through Mountain View will be moderate due to crews and equipment working directly on or near the roadway. Route 60 carries between 5,000 and 7,000 vehicles per day, depending on location.

10.  Kansas City -- U.S. 71 -- Resurfacing of mainline and outer roads from Blue Ridge Boulevard in Grandview to 155th Street in Belton. Much of the work will occur at night and off-peak periods. More than 70,000 vehicles daily pass through the segment. Work also will begin on interchange replacements at Missouri 150 in Grandview, Highway Y in Belton and a new interchange at about 187th Street (North Cass Parkway) in Cass County.

For a graphic illustrating the top 10 work zones, as well as a clickable map, please visit MoDOT’s newsroom at www.modot.org/newsroom.