Bridge construction on U.S. Route 63 in Columbia to begin next week

Road will remain open, but shift to head-to-head configuration

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - As part of Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City and the overall redesign for the Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 63 interchange, construction of two new bridges on U.S. Route 63 in Columbia is scheduled to begin next week. For the safety of motorists and workers, U.S. Route 63 traffic between the Broadway overpass and the Conley Road underpass will be shifted to a head-to-head configuration while the bridges are under construction.

Starting Monday, Oct. 14, all U.S. Route 63 traffic will be pushed to northbound lanes of U.S. Route 63 with temporary traffic control devices separating the north and southbound traffic. While two lanes of traffic will be open in both directions, they will be narrowed to 10 feet and with a reduced speed limit.

All exit and entrance ramps for U.S. Route 63 will be open but will involve new traffic patterns (see graphics).

Traffic in this area averages more than 52,000 vehicles per day. Motorists are urged to slow down, use extra caution, and be patient when traveling through the work zone. Delays are expected during peak travel times.

Construction crews will begin building the southbound bridge first, with all traffic on the northbound lanes. Once that bridge is complete, traffic will be switched to the new southbound bridge while the northbound bridge is constructed. These new bridges will create an underpass allowing traffic from Conley Road to move north directly into the I-70/U.S. Route 63 interchange. Building the two bridges is expected to take around 10 months. The head-to-head configuration will remain in place throughout construction.

The U.S. Route 63 underpass is the first phase of the work to reconstruct the I-70/U.S. Route 63 interchange, which is one portion of the first project within MoDOT's Statewide Improve I-70 Program. Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom Citywill add a third lane of travel in each direction to the 20-mile stretch of I-70 between U.S. Route 63 (Columbia) and Route 54 (Kingdom City). This $405 million fixed-cost contract includes new pavement on all three lanes of I-70 and will also make interchange improvements to the I-70 interchanges at U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 54. Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City construction is scheduled for completion in late 2027. Full details about Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City can be found at www.modot.org/improvei70/columbiakingdomcity.

Missouri's FY2024 budget from the General Assembly signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson provides $2.8 billion in General Revenue for the costs to build a third lane of I-70 across the state. The program will plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate, and add a third lane in each direction on nearly 200 miles of I-70, from Blue Springs to Wentzville. For more information on the Improve I-70 Program and to sign up for program e-mails, visit http://www.modot.org/improvei70.

For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.

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