The St. Louis Regional Freightway has unveiled its 2027 Priority Projects List, setting out an ambitious freight infrastructure roadmap covering 29 projects valued at more than $9.2 billion across the bi-state St. Louis region, reinforcing its long-term strategy to strengthen one of the United States’ key multimodal logistics hubs.
The announcement was made during the annual Freight Summit on June 10, a central event of FreightWeekSTL held aboard the Gateway Arch Riverboats. According to the Freightway, as of May 2026 more than $581 million worth of projects have already been completed, while nearly $3.8 billion in funding has been secured and $1.6 billion is currently under construction. Overall, 41% of total project costs are now funded, with additional developments expected to move into construction phases in the near future.
The list includes major road, bridge, freight yard, port and airport investments designed to support industrial growth and improve freight mobility across Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.
Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, said the programme reflects the region’s most critical logistics needs.
“The list highlights the top infrastructure needs of the manufacturing and logistics industries in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois and is a valuable tool used to advocate for support and funding for critical freight infrastructure improvements that strengthen the St. Louis region’s position as a world-class freight and logistics hub,” she said.
The Priority Projects List is developed annually by the Freight Development Committee, bringing together transport authorities, government agencies and industry stakeholders from both Missouri and Illinois in what has become a nationally recognised collaborative model.
Several key projects were highlighted during the summit, including major work on Interstate 270 (I-270), where a $496 million Chain of Rocks Bridge project is underway as a joint initiative between the Illinois and Missouri Departments of Transportation. Additional upgrades include the $106 million Illinois Route 3 Connector and the $70.3 million relocation of Illinois Route 158, aimed at improving traffic flow and network connectivity.
Officials also emphasized the importance of cross-state collaboration in delivering infrastructure at scale. “The bridges that span the Mississippi River are border bridges; they are shared 50%/50% between IDOT and MoDOT,” said Carrie Nelsen, Region Five Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation. “Both agencies are deeply involved in those projects since they are so expensive.”
Tom Evers, District Engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s St. Louis District, echoed the importance of coordination across agencies and freight stakeholders, highlighting continued investment along major corridors including Interstate 70 (I-70) and Interstate 44 (I-44). He pointed to the $634 million I-70 upgrade between Warrenton and Wentzville—the largest single project in MoDOT history—as well as broader efforts totalling $1.18 billion to modernise the corridor.
Evers also stressed the importance of further investment linking freight corridors to aviation infrastructure, noting that certain unfunded segments remain critical to supporting future growth around St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
The airport itself represents the largest single project on the 2027 list, with a new terminal now estimated at more than $3 billion. Around $1 billion has already been secured to advance enabling works.
Other fully funded projects include $246 million in improvements on Interstate 55 (I-55), $75 million in upgrades to the MacArthur Bridge over the Mississippi River, and more than $67 million in enhancements along Interstate 64.
Additional planned developments include a $98 million expansion of the Madison freight yard in Illinois and port-related investments aimed at strengthening the region’s position as a major inland logistics hub and agricultural export gateway.
However, several major projects remain unfunded, including a $629 million replacement of the Martin Luther King Bridge and a $570 million capacity expansion on I-55/70. The Freightway continues to advocate for financing across these critical corridors, alongside distribution upgrades at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and other regional freight assets.
Lamie said continued collaboration between stakeholders will be essential to maintaining momentum.
“It’s clear the collaboration that is the foundation of the annual Priority Projects List contributes to the forward movement of the projects on our list,” she said. “We celebrate the progress revealed in this year’s list and expect to continue to advance projects through a sustained period of significant infrastructure investment for our region.”
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