COLUMBIA, Mo. – Both Garth Avenue and Rangeline Street will be closed for two days this week as part of the project to replace the Interstate 70 bridges at Rangeline Street, Business Loop 70 and Garth Avenue.
The southbound lanes of Rangeline from just south of the eastbound I-70 off-ramp will be closed from 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3 until 5 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. Motorists using the I-70 eastbound off-ramp will not be able to travel south on Rangeline as a result. All other ramps will remain open. Drivers are encouraged to use Providence Road during the closure.
The northbound lanes of Rangeline will be closed just south of the eastbound I-70 on- ramp from 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 to 5 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 5. There will be no access to I-70 from northbound Rangeline during this time. Motorists are encouraged to use Providence or Business Loop instead.
The closures will allow the contractor, Emery Sapp and Sons, to install new drainage systems for the Rangeline improvements.
In addition, Garth Avenue will be closed between the last entrance to Bob McCosh Chevrolet and Texas Avenue from 6 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 to 6 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. Emery Sapp will be driving piles for the new I-70 bridge over Garth.
Looking ahead to the week of Feb. 8, motorists should note that Rangeline Street will be down to one lane in each direction. Those lane closings are tentatively set to begin Feb. 8, weather permitting, and last 30 days while the contractor builds the new eastbound I-70 bridge and retaining walls at Rangeline. More information on the Rangeline closure, including a traffic flow diagram, will be available in the near future.
“Once again, we remind drivers to avoid I-70 at Garth, Rangeline and Business Loop as much as possible until this work is finished in the fall,” said Travis Koestner, assistant district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Central District. “This project has run very smoothly so far, and that’s due in large part to the cooperation of local residents using other ways to get around Columbia.”
The $18 million design-build project, which also includes building new roundabouts at the Business Loop 70/West Boulevard interchange and at Rangeline, is running slightly ahead of schedule. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1, 2016.
For more information and to sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates on the project, visit www.modot.org/ColumbiaBridges.