Improvements to Providence Road back on the table

Ten different options have been proposed to make it easier to get into and out of the Grasslands neighborhood near Stadium Boulevard.

According to a survey sent out, residents largely favor one in particular.

That option includes installing traffic signals at the intersections of Turner Avenue and Providence, as well as Burnham and Providence.

The current traffic signal at Rollins and Providence would be taken out.

A southbound right-turn lane on Providence from Stadium Boulevard to Brandon Road would be added.

A residential road between Burnham and Bingham would be built and more lanes would be added to Providence to ease the congestion during rush hour.

Residents who live off Providence said this brings them frustration trying to get in and out of their neighborhoods.

“The traffic stacks up considerably and it’s almost impossible for a resident of Grasslands to get out of that particular subdivision,” Columbia Deputy City Manager Tony St. Romaine told ABC 17 News.

Across from that subdivision on the other side of Providence is the University of Missouri. City leaders say this also causes a lot of traffic in the area because of students coming to and from campus.

But solving the problem has more to do than just fixing the traffic patterns.

“Pedestrian crossing and safe pedestrian crossing is certainly a major issue,” St. Romaine said.

City leaders said these improvements would help a lot of the traffic problems and increase pedestrian safety, but this project comes with a price tag of $3.2 million.

These are dollars the City Leadership Council said they think will be well spent.

There is a public hearing on the issue scheduled Monday, June 3rd.

The City Council will make a final decision after that meeting.