MoDOT looks to improve pedestrian safety at two College Avenue intersections
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Transportation is looking to make safety enhancements to a busy Columbia intersection and roadway.
MoDOT showed plans for two intersections along College Avenue during an open-house meeting on Tuesday at 900 East Stadium Boulevard.
At the College Avenue and University Avenue intersection, the left turn signal would be changed from a permissive left to a protective left. At College Avenue and Rollins Street, MoDOT has proposed adding a westbound left turn lane along with upgrading the associated traffic signals.
"With the permissive left, you don't know if the car is going to go or the pedestrians going to go," said Patrick Hake, who is a MoDOT transportation project manager. "So by eliminating that conflict, we think that there'll be a lot safer for the pedestrians to walk across there."
A Pedestrian Safety Study published by the City of Columbia in November 2025 lists the College Avenue and University Avenue intersection and the College Avenue and Rollins Street intersection as the top-two intersections for pedestrian crashes from 2015-24.
Twelve pedestrian-involved crashes were reported at College Avenue and University Avenue, while six pedestrian-involved crashes were reported at the College Avenue and Rollins Street intersection during that time.
In June, Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe was involved in a crash on College Avenue at University Avenue after another driver drove through a red light.
The enhancements along College Avenue fall into a larger project that includes safety enhancements to Paris Road near Route B and East Brown Station Road. The projects total cost adds up to $1.6 million , according to Hake. The money would come from MoDOT's Vulnerable Road Users Fund.
With the stretch of roadway being crucial during the school year for motorists and students, Hake said stipulations will be put into place for any agreement made that road construction can not occur during the school year.
"Chances are they won't work on Rollins until the following summer, so it'll be '28," Hake said. "They could, since we're only upgrading the signals to protective left at University and there's no other sidewalk or widening, they could potentially have somebody come in and upgrade those signals, but it'll be up to the contractor and who gets that."
General sentiment from people attending a public input meeting for the projects Tuesday towards the proposed College Avenue enhancements was positive. Many people agreed it would make the road safer for those crossing and driving in the area.
The contract for the project will be awarded in June 2027 and work can start as early as July. MoDOT anticipates the work to be completed by December 2028.
