Columbia drivers forced to find temporary detours for road work

Drivers in Columbia are dealing with multiple road construction projects. One of those projects is requiring drivers to take a more than three mile detour.

The Broadway, Route WW exit from northbound Highway 63 is closed until June 6. MODOT is recommending drivers who need to use the exit continue northbound on Highway 63, exit Vandiver, cross over and jump back on Highway 63 southbound and take the Broadway exit.

“We decided on Vandiver based on the fact we’re closing a MODOT controlled route and we wanted to detour traffic across a MODOT controlled route and that was the closest one,” said MODOT Senior Construction Inspector Shane Viers.

But many Columbia drivers are instead exiting at the connector, turning onto I-70 Drive and using Keene Street.

“It is a city street, there’s a lot of traffic, you have to navigate the stoplight at the I-70 connector and that slows you down quite a bit,” Viers said.

ABC 17 News timed both MODOT’s recommended route and Keene Street to see how long it took during peak traffic time around five p.m.

Taking the detour to the Vandiver exit and turning around to get on Broadway took just over seven minutes.

When exiting at the connector and using Keene Street, it was a four and a half minute detour.

Keene Street is having maintenance work done as well and at certain times of the day, a worker may be directing traffic.

The Broadway, Route WW exit is set to reopen June 6, but then MODOT will be closing the Broadway exit heading southbound for 10 days to do the same maintenance.

Viers said the recommended detour will be the same.