93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
The federal infrastructure bill signed into law by President Joe Biden could provide some funding to help the heavily-congested I-70 and Highway 63 interchange in Columbia.
That’s according to veteran city Councilman Karl Skala, who also serves as mayor pro tem. Skala notes this is a state issue.
“The ultimate solution to that would have happened a long time ago and that is to have a cloverleaf. But that requires a tremendous amount of property, and would cause a tremendous amount of heartburn for some of the property owners around there,” Skala says.
Skala says stacking distances are an issue, because there’s not much room between Clark Lane and the highway.
The federal infrastructure bill was a top priority for President Biden, and it had the support of U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri). Senator Blunt says the bill authorizes more than $8 billion for Missouri to improve the safety and reliability of highways and roads. It’s still unclear how much money Columbia will receive under the bill. Councilman Skala indicates the city will be hiring a consultant to assist them, on this issue.
