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Old 03-17-2010, 10:29 AM
 
13,721 posts, read 19,261,956 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vb_guy View Post
If you want to see the difference between good roads and bad roads, drive I-435 in Kansas City. You know exactly where the state line is (without looking at the exit sign for State Line Rd) by the smoothness of the road. Gets bumpy as soon as you cross into Missouri (which I would nominate for worst roads in the country).
Yes. I live in Kansas and used to work in Missouri. Vast difference when you hit the Missouri state line, both in the condition of the roads themselves and in clearing of the roads when there was snow and ice. Kansas roads would be clear and when you hit Missouri, they were covered with ice and snow.
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Old 03-17-2010, 11:55 AM
 
Location: Wichita, KS
77 posts, read 190,826 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal View Post
Maybe a bit less spending on roads and the state wouldn't be in financial woes. But hey, as long as the roads are smooth right?
Yeah, and we could have roads like Missouri and Oklahoma.

The only thing that would make a Topeka-Denver drive along I-70 worse would be to make that drive on roads that haven't been repaired in 30 years. At least Columbia is between Kansas City and St. Louis so vehicles can take a break from driving on God-awful roads.
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Old 03-17-2010, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Hillsboro, OR
2,200 posts, read 4,423,197 times
Reputation: 1386
I-70 is not nearly as bad as I-29 in Missouri. I don't understand why they decided to carve the rumble strips on the side SO CLOSE TO THE FREAKING TRAVEL LANE. I hit them like 300 times every time I drive down to KC, especially if I'm in the left lane.
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Old 03-17-2010, 12:36 PM
 
78,431 posts, read 60,613,724 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal View Post
Maybe a bit less spending on roads and the state wouldn't be in financial woes. But hey, as long as the roads are smooth right?
It's no mystery that the MO roads are much worse than KS....and it's also no secret that MO has lower gas taxes and thus cheaper gas.

(Also, I believe a lot of MO road money has gone to widening roads to 4-lanes for their tourist areas in the south which is a good longterm move but not cheap.)

No need to be snarky, lower taxes is the upside.
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Old 03-17-2010, 01:00 PM
 
29,981 posts, read 42,939,504 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vb_guy View Post
Yeah, and we could have roads like Missouri and Oklahoma.

The only thing that would make a Topeka-Denver drive along I-70 worse would be to make that drive on roads that haven't been repaired in 30 years. At least Columbia is between Kansas City and St. Louis so vehicles can take a break from driving on God-awful roads.
Whatever floats your boat. I-70 between KC & St. Louis is actually in very good condition (finally) but that was federal $$ not state $$ spent.

Overall, outside of the KC metro area, Missouri roads are just not as bad as y'all paint them. Yes, MO roads in the KCMO area are bad, very bad. KCMO is broke. However, road conditions in KCMO are not indicadive of road conditions statewide.

I wholly agree about the lower taxes in MO too. I chuckle when I see the # of KS plated vehicles lined up at the gas station pumps along State Line filling up.

I-29 in Missouri is smooth as a baby's bottom compared to I-29 in Iowa!
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Old 03-17-2010, 02:10 PM
 
Location: Wichita, KS
77 posts, read 190,826 times
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They did repave US-54 east of Nevada, I'll give them that.

Have they redone I-70 in the last two years? 2008 was the last time I drove that stretch of highway. It was driveable at that point, but it was still in dire need of replacement.

Amen on the gas prices, that is a great thing about Missouri. Cross the bridge on US-59 in Atchison, and get .20/gallon less for gas! Can't count the number of times I've done that!
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Old 03-17-2010, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Hillsboro, OR
2,200 posts, read 4,423,197 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal View Post
I-29 in Missouri is smooth as a baby's bottom compared to I-29 in Iowa!
lol...disagree. I-29 in Missouri is one of the worst roads I have ever had the displeasure of driving on. Mainly for the poor engineering, but once you get to KC, it's not exactly spamtastic driving either.

On the plus side, I-55 in Missouri is nice. It seems as if, outside of KC, SL, and I-29, Missouri has good freeways.

Don't even get me started on the Poplar Street Bridge in St. Louis. Ugh.
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Old 03-17-2010, 07:46 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC area
11,108 posts, read 23,892,595 times
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America's Best Roads: 4 Honorable Mentions | Driving | Reader's Digest

There you go and if you click on the link you will see that I-70 (and I-44) in MO is number three.

But what does Reader’s Digest know about this? Ask those that drive on the roads everyday and don’t just assume the roads are bad because they were bad 10 years ago.

Check this link:
Truckers Say Missouri Roads Are Fifth Best in the Nation - Kansas City infoZine News

Missouri at number 5, Kansas not in top five.

Do of you drive in MO? I drive between KC and StL many times a year and 70 in MO is fine, has been for a few years.

And where are the roads in KCMO in such bad shape?????

Just about every freeway on the MO side of Metro KC has been paved or replaced in the past few years. 5 years ago, the state roads in KCMO were a total disaster. Now most are in pretty good shape and when the new I-29/I-35 section opens north of downtown, that will be yet another improvement.

Give a little credit where credit is due…
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Old 03-18-2010, 09:41 AM
 
13,721 posts, read 19,261,956 times
Reputation: 16971
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo View Post
America's Best Roads: 4 Honorable Mentions | Driving | Reader's Digest

There you go and if you click on the link you will see that I-70 (and I-44) in MO is number three.

But what does Reader’s Digest know about this? Ask those that drive on the roads everyday and don’t just assume the roads are bad because they were bad 10 years ago.

Check this link:
Truckers Say Missouri Roads Are Fifth Best in the Nation - Kansas City infoZine News

Missouri at number 5, Kansas not in top five.

Do of you drive in MO? I drive between KC and StL many times a year and 70 in MO is fine, has been for a few years.

And where are the roads in KCMO in such bad shape?????

Just about every freeway on the MO side of Metro KC has been paved or replaced in the past few years. 5 years ago, the state roads in KCMO were a total disaster. Now most are in pretty good shape and when the new I-29/I-35 section opens north of downtown, that will be yet another improvement.

Give a little credit where credit is due…
OMG. I can't believe you are saying that I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis is fine. I have read that that has been called the most dangerous stretch of highway in the US, and I believe it. It's awful. And yes, I have driven it many times.

I know it kills you when Kansas is better at anything than Missouri, but the roads in Kansas are MUCH better than Missouri roads. My husband travels all over Kansas City - north, south, east and west of the city as well as everywhere in the city - and beyond, in both Kansas and Missouri, and he complains about Missouri roads all the time.
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Old 03-18-2010, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Hillsboro, OR
2,200 posts, read 4,423,197 times
Reputation: 1386
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo View Post
America's Best Roads: 4 Honorable Mentions | Driving | Reader's Digest

There you go and if you click on the link you will see that I-70 (and I-44) in MO is number three.

But what does Reader’s Digest know about this? Ask those that drive on the roads everyday and don’t just assume the roads are bad because they were bad 10 years ago.

Check this link:
Truckers Say Missouri Roads Are Fifth Best in the Nation - Kansas City infoZine News

Missouri at number 5, Kansas not in top five.

Do of you drive in MO? I drive between KC and StL many times a year and 70 in MO is fine, has been for a few years.

And where are the roads in KCMO in such bad shape?????

Just about every freeway on the MO side of Metro KC has been paved or replaced in the past few years. 5 years ago, the state roads in KCMO were a total disaster. Now most are in pretty good shape and when the new I-29/I-35 section opens north of downtown, that will be yet another improvement.

Give a little credit where credit is due…

You seem to be ignoring the fact that Missouri overall was ranked 44th for best roads, which is about right. Not the worst, but pretty bad.
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