Interstate 70

Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from a park and ride near Baltimore, Maryland, to I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 (US 40, the old National Road) east of the Rocky Mountains. West of the Rockies, the route of I-70 was derived from multiple sources. The Interstate runs through many major cities including Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus.

The sections of the interstate in Missouri and Kansas have laid claim to be the first interstate in the United States. The Federal Highway Administration has claimed the section of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, completed in 1992, was the last piece of the Interstate Highway system, as originally planned, to open to traffic.

The construction of I-70 in Colorado and Utah is considered an engineering marvel as the route passes through the Eisenhower Tunnel, Glenwood Canyon, and the San Rafael Swell. The Eisenhower Tunnel is the highest point along the Interstate Highway system with an elevation of 11,158 ft (3,401 m).

Interstate 70 in Illinois

Interstate 70 (I-70) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that travels from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In the U.S. state of Illinois, the Interstate highway travels 160 miles (260 km) from the Missouri state line at the Mississippi River in Brooklyn east to the Indiana state line near Marshall. I-70, which travels in a generally east-northeast direction across the state parallel to and sometimes concurrent with U.S. Route 40 (US 40), connects St. Louis and the Metro East region of Illinois with the Indiana cities of Terre Haute and Indianapolis, as well as many small towns along the northern edge of Southern Illinois and the southern tier of the Central Illinois region. Within Metro East, I-70 has interchanges with I-64 in East St. Louis and I-55 near Troy. I-70 also has interchanges with the two Interstates that form St. Louis's beltway: I-255 near Collinsville and I-270 at the I-55 junction near Troy. East of the Metro East region, I-70 meets US 51 in Vandalia and both I-57 and US 45 in Effingham. Like all Interstate highways, I-70 is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length in Illinois.

Interstate 70 in Kansas

In the U.S. state of Kansas, Interstate 70 contains the first segment to start being paved and to be completed in the Interstate Highway System. It extends from the Western border near the town of Kanorado to the Eastern border in Kansas City. The route covers 424 miles (682 km) and passes through several of the state's principal cities in the process including Kansas City, Topeka, and Salina. The route also passes through the cities of Lawrence, Junction City, and Abilene.

Route description

I-70 is concurrent with US-24 from the Colorado state line until US-24 splits at Levant and runs north of I-70. At Colby, I-70 begins to turn southeast until it reaches Oakley, where US-40 joins with I-70 for a concurrent journey through most of the state. The route remains flat until it reaches the county line between Russell and Ellsworth counties, where the road begins to travese rolling hills.

At Salina, Interstate 135 begins its journey southward toward Wichita, and I-70 continues through Abilene and Junction City, where the road begins to run through the Flint Hills.