Ground-breaking set for today at U.S. 63 interchange construction site

COLUMBIA — A ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction on the $7.9 million interchange at U.S. 63 and Gans Road will be held today.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine at the project site, a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Mike Kehoe of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will participate in the event, according to a Transportation Department news release.

This three-fold project at the U.S. 63 site includes the construction of the interchange itself and the realignment of Gans and Ponderosa roads.

The project is designed to “increase safety and traffic flow and accommodate increased traffic generated by the new development area in south Columbia along Route 63,” according to the news release.

The project is funded through both public and private groups, including MU, the Department of Transportation, the City of Columbia, the Gans Road and the U.S. 63 Transportation Development District.