Interstate 229 (Missouri) - Route Description

Route Description

I-229 begins southeast of Saint Joseph at a directional T interchange with I-29 and US 71 in rural Buchanan County. It heads to the north-northwest and almost immediately meets Route A at a half-diamond interchange; in this case, only southbound I-229 traffic can access Route A and Route A traffic can only access northbound I-229. North of the highway is a housing development while there are fields to the south. Another half-diamond interchange provides access to Route 752. Northbound I-229 traffic may exit to reach westbound Route 752. Full access to Route 752 is provided by the next exit, Route 371, known locally as 22nd Street.

As I-229 approaches downtown St. Joseph, it encounters two half-diamond interchanges. The southern interchange, for E. Lake Boulevard, provides access to US 59 for northbound traffic. At the northern interchange, for S. 6th Street, northbound US 59 joins northbound I-229 while southbound US 59 leaves I-229. The two routes run together northward, where they encounter US 36. Just north of US 36, the northbound lanes I-229 / US 59 climb raise up and are positioned over the southbound lanes.

This viaduct runs along the eastern bank of the Missouri River for just over one mile (1.6 km). At the south end of the viaduct, another half-diamond interchange, for Route 759 provides southbound traffic access to westbound US 36 as the main interchange does not provide direct access. At roughly the three-quarter point of the viaduct, two sets of exit and entrance ramps, all of which on the eastern side of the structure, connect St. Joseph's central business district to the Interstate Highway.

The viaduct ends at the St. Joseph Avenue interchange, which is also where US 59 leaves I-229. After which, the highway leaves St. Joseph and enters Andrew County. The Route K interchange provides access to Amazonia. The interstate continues north where it ends at a complex interchange with I-29 and US 71. I-29 runs from the southeast to the northwest, I-229 comes up from the south, and US 71 comes from the southeast with I-29 and exits to the north at the interchange. I-229 traffic that does not exit onto I-29 continues north on US 71. US 59 is signed at the interchange as if it were running along the same line as US 71, but it actually intersects I-29 three miles (4.8 km) southeast of the end of I-229.