Construction Update

October 16,2009

Maguire Boulevard Extension

Construction crews move dirt and sand into position for the bridge overpass of the Macquire Boulevard extension.

Location: From Maguire Boulevard at the Concorde Industrial Park (which runs parallel to adjacent U.S. 63) to the Crosscreek Center development at U.S. 63 and Stadium Boulevard. The road crosses new bridges spanning the north and south fork of Grindstone Creek.

Contractor: Emery Sapp and Sons

Cost: $7.9 million

Status: Work began in April 2009 and is scheduled to be finished in summer 2010.

Why: Hundreds of people work in the industrial park along Maguire and Lemone boulevards. There is only one way in and out of the park on the southern end where Lemone Industrial Boulevard meets New Haven Road, so traffic is often congested, particularly when people are coming to work in the mornings and leaving in the afternoons. This provides a northern outlet. Stadium Boulevard will connect with Maguire and will eventually be extended northeast to connect with Interstate 70.

One of two bridges goes up over Grindstone Creek as part of the extension.

(The project drew widespread attention in June when Columbia videographer Scott Wilson shot video of water and sediment pouring into the creek after a rainfall and posted the video on YouTube to get the attention of environmental regulators. The erosion prompted Matt Sperry of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to investigate the construction site. Sperry gave the city and its contractor seven days to replace silt fences that had been dislodged during significant rainfall.)

Providence Road Extension

Looking south onto the Providence extension toward Vandiver Drive, construction crews assemble the new bridge that spans Bear Creek. Motorists can expect the new road to open by the end of October.

Location: From the northern end of Providence Road, formerly a dead-end north of Interstate 70 just past Vandiver Drive, to Blue Ridge Road. The road crosses a new bridge spanning Bear Creek.

Contractor: Emery Sapp and Sons

Cost: $4.2 million (funding approved by voters in 2005 ballot issue)

The Bear Creek Trail will soon open to pedestrians again with a new view of the Providence extension bridge.

Why: The north-central region of Columbia has been growing rapidly, with major housing projects north of Bear Creek and west of Rangeline Road. Drivers had to use Garth Avenue and Rangeline Road to get to and from the subdivisions and new commercial development. This new road, along with improvements to Rangeline Road, which runs parallel to Providence Road Extension, will improve the traffic flow.

Status: Work began in February and is scheduled to be finished at the end of October.

A construction worker assembles a light post for the Providence extension north.