Route B in Northeast Boone County and College Avenue in central Columbia will see some road improvements starting next year. The Missouri Department of Transportation held a public hearing to provide information on those improvements Tuesday.
Michael Dusenberg, the Central District Project Manager from MoDOT, said they are improving the roads to meet the requirements listed in the Americans with Disability Act. He said the construction will affect residents and landowners nearby, which is one reason this public hearing was held.
“From a highway construction standpoint, they are not big jobs, but they do involve a decent link of corridor. There’s a lot of traffic on both of those routes. So it will have some impacts to a lot of folks who use those corridors on a daily basis,” Dusenberg said.
Cheri Reisch, the state representative-elect representing District 44, attended the public hearing to discuss her thoughts and suggestions with MoDOT representatives.
“Route B, it is in my district, 44, and I think road improvements’ main purpose is safety. We need to make sure all our pedestrians and drivers are safe,” Reisch said.
Dusenberg said the improvements are for vehicles as well as pedestrians. Their current plans include repaving the roads, expanding some sidewalks and upgrading walk beacons and grates along the road.
According to MoDOT, each project is going to cost roughly 1.5 million to 2 million dollars. The improvement project along Route B is scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2017, and on College Avenue in the Spring of 2018.