City will fund beautification of interchanges

Those new interchanges being built into Columbia from I-70 will be “visually enhanced” and unique to Columbia in an effort to be more welcoming. The city council on Monday agreed to kick in $650,000 to help fund the work. The University of Missouri and Boone County are also contributing. The plan calls for about $1.7 million to beautify the exits above and beyond typical MoDOT standards. The improvements will include colored concrete, signage, fencing and lighting.