You have an opportunity tomorrow (Tuesday) night to testify about Columbia’s planned $12-million improvement project on busy Forum Boulevard. The voter-approved project would make numerous improvements on Forum between Chapel Hill near the Callaway Bank and Woodrail Avenue.
The city council’s three-page packet says planned improvements include widening Forum by adding a driving lane in each direction to the current two-lane segment of the corridor. City staff notes that would also improve emergency vehicle response times. The city also plans to build a new bridge over the Hinkson creek bridge to ensure that it will not result in a rise of potential flood elevation. The project also calls for extending the pedestrian tunnel for the MKT trail to accommodate the road improvements, and it also calls for roundabouts at Katy lane and at Woodrail.
The $12.3 million project would be funded by the 2015 voter-approved quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax extension. City manager De’Carlon Seewood recommends that the council approve construction of the Forum Boulevard improvements. Monday evening’s vote would be whether to proceed with the project. If the council approves the project, construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2026.
Tomorrow night’s council meeting begins at 7 at city hall. Click here to learn more about the project.
