Easier access to I-70 will aid traveling students
Jan. 29, 2008
Stadium Boulevard leads to a construction zone just past U.S. 63. Federal money has been earmarked to expand Stadium to intersect with Interstate 70.
(Click graphic to enlarge)
Students traveling toward Kansas City or St. Louis might have easier access to Interstate 70 if a proposed project comes to fruition.
In December, Congress earmarked $249,000 for Columbia as part of the omnibus spending package to aid a project to improve roads in east Columbia and extend Stadium Boulevard to I-70.
According to a December news release from the City of Columbia, U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., aided in getting the grant, which will help the safety and traffic flow in East Columbia.
“The eastward expansion of Stadium has been part of the city’s transportation plan since 1970 and is a local priority for federal funding,” the news release stated.
According to Mayor Darwin Hindman, the first step in this process is an environmental study of the East Columbia area. Once concluded, a City Council meeting will decide on a plan for road construction.
“There is no prospect in the immediate future,” Hindman said.
Hindman said the Missouri Department of Transportation created different plans for road changes, four of which were open to the public at a meeting on Jan. 8.
“We are still reviewing the public’s input from that meeting,” MoDOT spokeswoman Dawn Haslag said.
Each plan includes the widening of Route WW, the addition of turn lanes, realignment of the off-road and the extension of Stadium Boulevard to Route WW. The reasoning behind those common changes is safety and improved traffic flow.
According to the Environmental Impact Statement on MoDOT’s Web site, improved road condition and additional turn lanes will help traffic flow smoother, due to the fact that drivers will be able to connect directly to I-70. The interchange from U.S. 63 to I-70 creates congestion, which will be alleviated by the extension.
The differing factors of the plans are improvements to Richardson Road, extension of Charles Street and extension of Ballenger Lane.
According to the East Columbia EIS, nine plans were presented in October and four were selected for further review. Because of the National Environmental Policy Act, road construction must be preceded by a study that will evaluate the environmental needs of the area to be constructed upon. During this process, interest groups, as well as public business owners, must have an opportunity to give their input on the plans.
These factors will be reviewed in the spring at the next City Council meeting. From there, a draft will be made public and citizens will have another chance to comment on the plans. After that, a final copy will be made public and citizens have a final chance to give input. Construction will begin soon after the final copy is laid out, but no date has been set.
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