City solicits input from residents on Stadium Boulevard construction plan

COLUMBIA — About 100 people gathered at the Activity and Recreation Center on Wednesday to hear the details of a $19.9 million project that would rebuild the Interstate 70 and Stadium Boulevard interchange and widen parts of Stadium  between I-70 and Broadway to six lanes.

Representatives from the Public Works Department, the Missouri Department of Transportation and the private engineering firm Cook, Flatt and Strobel gathered around maps, diagrams and videos, explaining the plan to attendees and requesting their written input.

According to a flier handed out at the meeting, there are five identified phases of the plan:

• Summer 2010: Construction on the entrance and exit south of Ash Street on the west side of Stadium Boulevard
• Fall and winter 2010: Construction on Fairview Road, which will be used as an alternate route during construction on Stadium Boulevard
• Spring and summer 2011: Construction on Bernadette Drive and the Columbia Mall parking lot, which also will be used as an alternate route during construction on Stadium Boulevard
• 2012: Construction on Stadium Boulevard, including:
  
  
  • Widening to six lanes and the creation of a raised median between I-70 and Broadway
  • The addition of sidewalks that will connect the mall with the area south of Broadway
• 2013: Construction of a diverging diamond interchange at I-70

Columbia would be the second city in the country with a diverging diamond interchange, a French-inspired design. MoDOT built a diverging diamond in Springfield last summer. The design is intended to improve traffic flow by allowing drivers to avoid crossing traffic lanes when turning.

After looking through the written input, the Public Works Department and MoDOT will hold additional public hearings on the project.

"Nothing is set in stone at this point," city spokeswoman Jill Stedem said.

Cook, Flatt and Strobel plans to launch a Web site in May to better communicate with residents, said Sabin Yanez, an engineer with the firm.

The project will be funded by the city, MoDOT and the Stadium Corridor, Columbia Mall and Shoppes at Stadium transportation development districts. Those districts will use proceeds of their half-cent sales taxes to pay for their portions of the project.